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THE    BARBARIANS   OF   MOROCCO 


•     •  *    '•  •  •  • 


THE  BARBARIANS  OF 
MOROCCO 


BY 

GRAF  STERNBERG 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN  BY 

ETHEL  PECK 

WITH    12    ILLUSTRATIONS    BY 

DOUGLAS  FOX-PITT,  R.B.A. 


NEW  YORK 
DUFFIELD    &    COMPANY 


r 


THE  BARBARIANS  OF 
MOROCCO 


BY 

GRAF  STERNBERG 

AUTHOR   OF    "my   EXPERIENCES   OF   THE    BOER   WAR 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN  BY 

ETHEL  PECK 

WITH    12    ILLUSTRATIONS    BY 

DOUGLAS  FOX-PITT,  R.B.A. 


•»    » •»  ■» 


NEW  YORK 

DUFFIELD    &    COMPANY 

1909 


-iJ  ' 


PREFACE 

I  ACCOMPANIED  Count  Sternberg  on  this  little 
journey  to  Fez,  not  for  the  purpose  of  wringing 
concessions  from  the  Sultan,  but  to  learn  some- 
thing of  the  people  and  the  country. 

To  speak  with  authority  and  true  understanding 
of  Morocco  and  its  people  requires  sympathy  and 
a  life  long  residence  amongst  them.  Although  we 
cannot  claim  to  have  lived  amongst  the  Moors  for 
more  than  a  few  months,  we  started  on  our  journey 
in  a  sympathetic  mood,  and  returned  with  still 
more  sympathy  for  these  misunderstood  people. 
To  say  that  we  thoroughly  understood  the  Moorish 
character  would  be  to  adopt  a  presumptuous 
attitude. 

Tourists  flock  to  Tangier,  and,  after  a  conversa- 
tion with  a  low-caste  guide  and  a  donkey-ride  on 
the  sands,  take  boat  to  England  or  America,  and 
speak  with  the  authority  of  ignorance  on  Morocco 
and  its  mysteries. 


227131 


^ 


^5^     C> 


PREFACE 

I  ACCOMPANIED  Couiit  Sternberg  on  this  little 
journey  to  Fez,  not  for  the  purpose  of  wringing 
concessions  from  the  Sultan,  but  to  learn  some- 
thing of  the  people  and  the  country. 

To  speak  with  authority  and  true  understanding 
of  Morocco  and  its  people  requires  sympathy  and 
a  life  long  residence  amongst  them.  Although  we 
cannot  claim  to  have  lived  amongst  the  Moors  for 
more  than  a  few  months,  we  started  on  our  journey 
in  a  sympathetic  mood,  and  returned  with  still 
more  sympathy  for  these  misunderstood  people. 
To  say  that  we  thoroughly  understood  the  Moorish 
character  would  be  to  adopt  a  presumptuous 
attitude. 

Tourists  flock  to  Tangier,  and,  after  a  conversa- 
tion with  a  low-caste  guide  and  a  donkey-ride  on 
the  sands,  take  boat  to  England  or  America,  and 
speak  with  the  authority  of  ignorance  on  Morocco 
and  its  mysteries. 


227131 


vi  PREFACE 

To  be  in  sympathy  with  the  Moors,  we  must 
put  ourselves  in  their  place,  and  ask  whether  we 
should  like  our  own  country  to  be  overrun  by 
needy  adventurers.  Can  it  be  wondered  at  that  the 
Moors  are  not  impressed  by  European  civilization 
as  exhibited  in  their  midst,  and  more  especially 
at  Tangier  ?  Concession-mongers,  usurers,  and 
absinthe  vendors  jostle  each  other  in  the  narrow 
street  which  leads  to  the  quay.  These  pioneers 
of  civilization  all  wear  a  hungry  look,  bred  of 
greed,  and  they  are  all  on  the  "  money-make," 
mostly  at  the  expense  of  the  natives. 

It  is  the  habit  of  those  who  do  not  understand 
this  sympathy  for  a  race  who  do  not  wear  tall  hats 
to  say.  But  surely,  if  France  does  not  annex 
Morocco,  Germany  will,  and  you  do  not  want  to 
see  the  Germans  there  !  Never  for  a  moment  can 
they  attune  their  minds  to  the  idea  of  Morocco 
for  the  Moors. 

Because  Morocco  has  not  fallen  into  line  with 
Europe  and  made  a  fetish  of  gold  and  commerce, 
are  we  to  condemn  the  Moors  as  savages  ?  These 
followers  of  Mahomet  have  as  much  right  to  exist 
as  a  nation  as  those  who  haunt  the  precincts  of  La 
Place  de  la  Bourse. 

Has  modern   civilization   been   such   a   success 


PREFACE  vii 

that  we  Europeans  are  prepared  to  thrust  it  on 

the  Moors  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet  ?     Are  not 

the   Moors,   living   a    pastoral  life,  incomparably 

better  off  than  we  are  in  the  midst  of  the  stench 

and  smoke  of  factories  ? 

Let  Morocco  remain  as  she  is — a  land  inhabited 

by  naturally  peaceful  people,  unspoilt  by  modern 

inventions — an  artistic  reserve  for  all  those  who 

prefer  the  beauties  of  Nature  to  the  throb  of  an 

iron  piston. 

DOUGLAS   FOX-PITT. 


CONTENTS 


I.   TANGIER        -----  I 

11,    VILLA    PALENTINA       -                  -  -  "3^ 

III.  THE  JOURNEY   TO   FEE               -  -  "3^ 

IV.  FEZ                    -                 -                 -  -  •         55 
V.    THE   FRENCH    IN    MOROCCO      -  -  -         7' 

VI.    THE   PEOPLE   OF   FEZ                    -  -  *         93 

▼n,   THE  SULTAN   AND   THE   MAGHZEN  -  -       121 

▼m.    DEPARTURE   FROM   FEZ              -  -  ~       '35 

IX,   THE   CASE   OF   KAID   MACLEAN  -  -       1 50 

X,    MOROCCO   FOR   THE   MOORS     -  -  *       163 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

SULTAN  ABD-EL-AZIZ  RECEIVES  TRIBES  AT  FEZ       frontispiece 

THE    KASBAH,    TANGIER       - 

FEZ  :     ROAD    OUTSIDE    TANGIER 

OUR    CAMP    AT    ELCAZAR     - 

CROSSING    THE    SEBU 

A    MOORISH    HUT  -  -  - 

THE    WALLS   OF   FEZ 

FEZ  -  -        ,  - 

NORTHERN    ENTRANCE    TO    FEZ 

AN    EXCELLENT    SKY 

A    PLEASANT    CAMPING    SPOT 

FORT    AT    LARASH 


To  face 

p,12 

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44 

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52 

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54 

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70 

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94 

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136 

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138 

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146 

XI 


THE 
BARBARIANS    OF    MOROCCO 

CHAPTER   I 
TANGIER 

I 

After  many  weeks  spent  in  Tunis,  Biskra,  and 
Algiers,  the  voyage  to  Tangier  came  next  upon 
the  programme.  Once  a  month  a  ship,  one  of 
the  "Adria"  Company,  makes  a  voyage  between 
Algiers  and  Tangier.  The  "  Adria  "  is  a  Hun- 
garian company,  and  I  was  pleased  at  the  thought 
of  gliding  across  the  waves  under  my  native  flag. 
I  had  to  wait  some  time  for  that  pleasure,  for  the 
ship  Adria  had  not  come  in,  and  the  agents  had 
no  news  as  to  the  cause  of  her  delay.  Finally, 
she  appeared  in  the  harbour  on  the  day  after 
Good  Friday.  She  was  to  have  steamed  ofF  again 
on  the  Sunday,  but  it  proved  to  be  impossible  to 
leave  the  harbour  of  Algiers  till  Tuesday  night. 
The  Adria  was  no  ocean  leviathan  of  thousands 


i  '  THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

of  horse-power,  with  a  huge  screw  cleaving  the 
blue  billows,  but  a  cockle-shell  of  700  tons — a 
small  fraction  of  the  tonnage  of  the  Deutschland 
or  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  IL  The  hand  of  Time 
had  furrowed  her  sides,  and  she  bore  the  scars 
of  many  battles  with  wind  and  weather.  Her 
narrow  funnel  pointed  modestly  to  the  sky,  and 
a  thin  column  of  smoke  floated  quietly  away,  as 
if  it  wished  to  remain  unnoticed,  and  to  be  lost  in 
the  dark,  rolling,  exuberant  smoke-clouds  of  her 
mighty  neighbour — a  German  liner. 

A  very  different  craft  was  this  neighbour,  with 
full  sides  smilingly  reflected  in  the  blue  waters, 
glorying  in  her  magnificent  strength,  and  belching 
forth  from  her  two  yellow  funnels  the  visible  sign 
of  her  internal  power. 

Germany  and  Austria-Hungary  1  Involuntarily 
I  recognised  how  well  the  two  ships  symbolized 
the  states  of  their  respective  countries :  one, 
product  of  the  civilization  of  a  proud  empire, 
with  a  powerful,  unified,  stable  government  ;  and 
the  other,  the  miserable  output  of  a  kingdom 
torn  by  the  intrigues  of  innumerable  place-seekers, 
and  its  activities  enfeebled  and  disintegrated. 

One  must  travel  in  order  to  realize  the  misery 
and  confusion  of  our  Fatherland,  and  comparisons 


TANGIER  3 

will  show  us  to  what  a  pass  politics  have  brought 
our  unhappy  country. 

But  let  us  leave  the  sad  thoughts  engendered 
by  patriotic  feeling  and  return  to  the  beautiful 
African  coast. 

Algiers  lay  before  us,  radiantly  white  and  lovely 
under  the  shimmering  brilliance  of  the  sunshine. 
High  in  the  blue  eternity  of  the  heavens  scurried 
the  fleecy  clouds,  boding  ill  for  our  voyage,  but 
the  Adria^  undisturbed,  began  to  start  her  engines, 
and  moved  away  from  her  neighbour  like  a 
duckling  from  the  side  of  a  swan. 

She  headed  for  the  open  sea,  and  Algiers,  the 
white  vision  in  a  blue  dream,  faded  away  as 
pleasure  fades  under  the  rude  hand  of  Time,  till 
at  last  it  disappears  into  the  darkness  of  oblivion. 

I  sat  myself  on  the  captain's  bridge,  for  this 
modest  bearer  of  our  country's  flag  had  no 
promenade  deck,  to  take  a  parting  look  at  the 
country  in  whose  palmy  sohtudes  I  had  passed 
so  many  happy  hours.  As  I  gazed  a  golden  light 
flooded  the  whole  sky,  and  through  the  glow  the 
great  disk  of  the  sun,  burning  red,  dipped  slowly 
into  the  sea,  stretching  out  its  rays  far  and  wide 
to  the  waves.  The  lofty  mountains  of  the  desert, 
rising   against  the  sky,  were  tinged  with  purple 

I — 2 


4      THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

hues,  which  grew  every  moment  less  vivid,  and 
turned  shade  by  shade  to  colder  and  colder  greys, 
till  finally  a  veil  of  sadness  fell  on  the  mighty 
towering  chain  of  rocks.  Then  the  most  glorious 
colours  tinted  the  whole  firmament — delicate 
shades  which  the  Pompeians  alone  knew  how  to 
paint.  Gorgeous  it  was  as  an  Arabian  wedding. 
The  sombre  mantle  of  night  slowly  dimmed  the 
changing  splendour  of  the  gold,  green,  red,  and 
purple  lights,  and  peace  descended  on  the  scene  as 
softly  as  the  wings  of  ministering  angels. 

The  sea  was  motionless,  and  only  the  Adria 
broke  the  slumber  of  the  waves,  which  washed 
reproachfully  against  her  sides.  The  dinner-bell 
broke  the  spell,  and  reminded  me  that  man,  alas  ! 
has  an  appetite  that  must  be  fed  ;  so  I  clambered 
down  the  precipitous  stairs  to  the  confined  cabin, 
which  served  all  the  purposes  of  our  social  life. 
Four  cabins  led  out  from  it.  This  completes  the 
description  of  the  interior  of  our  little  craft. 

There  were  four  passengers,  counting  myself, 
and  at  the  head  of  the  table  sat  the  captain.  He 
was  a  kind-hearted,  good-natured  man,  who  loved 
his  ship,  and  loved  talking  of  her.  He  spoke 
many  tongues,  and  was  extremely  sociable.  On 
my  left  sat  an  Indian  of  the  sect  of  Zoroaster, 


TANGIER  5 

opposite  an  Englishman  from  Egypt,  and  next  to 
him  a  Swiss.  The  captain  was  a  Croat,  the  first 
mate  an  Italian,  the  second  an  Hungarian  ;  the 
engineer  was  a  Servian,  and  on  the  deck  was  an 
Arabian  Marabout  from  Mecca ;  the  stoker  was  a 
Chinaman,  and  I  a  Bohemian.  We  were,  in  truth, 
an  exceptionally  cosmopolitan  company. 

We  were  all  in  good  spirits,  and  spoke  chiefly 
of  religion.  The  Indian  was  most  entertaining  ; 
this  follower  of  Zoroaster  was  permeated  with  the 
idea  of  his  faith,  and  he  said  his  body  would  be 
eaten  by  the  birds  after  his  death,  so  that  nothing 
should  remain  of  it.  He  talked  much  of  the 
fakirs,  especially  of  those  who  by  gazing  stark 
naked  all  day  at  the  sun  gain  the  gift  of  prophecy, 
and  can  foretell  all  things.  They  live  on  miJk 
alone,  and  remain  in  one  spot  for  life  ;  and,  after 
having  tasted  all  earthly  pleasures,  they  naturally 
renounce  all  earthly  things.  If  one  should  demand 
from  them  an  eye  or  their  internal  organs,  they 
will  tear  out  an  eye  or  cut  themselves  open. 
dui  vient  de  loin  a  beau  mentir. 

The  Swiss  was  interested  in  geography  and 
politics  ;  to  him  Germany  was  everything — 
Trieste,  in  fact  the  whole  of  Austria,  must 
become   German.      The   captain   good-naturedly 


6      THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

made  fun  of  all  this  nonsense.  What  wonderful 
tales  he  must  have  heard  in  the  course  of  his 
travels  ! 

The  sea  was  calm  when  we  went  to  rest,  but 
when  my  servant  woke  me  next  morning  the 
weather  was  rough,  and  the  ship  plunged  and 
rolled  in  every  direction,  and  we  were  five  hours 
late  in  arriving  at  Oran. 

A  glance  at  the  superbly  situated  town,  sur- 
mounted by  the  old  fort,  built  by  the  Moors  on 
the  summits  of  the  rocks,  repaid  me  for  my  dis- 
comfort. Here  we  stayed  till  the  next  morning. 
The  captain  decided  at  midday  to  make  for  the 
open  sea,  but  he  soon  realized  that  the  strength 
of  his  vessel  was  not  equal  to  the  stress  of  the 
merciless  storm  ;  so  he  gave  up  the  struggle  with 
wind  and  weather,  steered  for  a  bay,  and  threw 
out  both  anchors.  But  even  there  the  storm  was 
so  strong  that  he  had  to  steam  against  the  stream 
to  prevent  the  anchor's  chains  from  parting. 

In  Oran  a  company  of  musicians  came  on  board 
and  enlivened  us  all  with  songs  and  airs  upon  the 
guitar.  After  dinner  I  made  them  give  a  special 
performance.  Among  the  female  artistes  was  an 
exceedingly  pretty  girl,  scarcely  full  grown,  who 
aroused  my  admiration,  and  I  bade  her  sing  the 


TANGIER  7 

"  Baja."  Whereupon  another  woman  rose  from 
her  seat  and  flounced  away  with  angry  looks. 
This  was  the  prima  donna,  whose  professional 
pride  was  wounded.  Baja  sang  so  badly  that  I 
cut  short  her  performance.  The  prima  donna 
should  then  have  sung,  but  it  was  found  she  had 
gone  away ;  however,  after  some  search  she  was 
brought  back.  Meanwhile  Baja  became  sea-sick, 
and  was  twitted  by  the  prima  donna,  who  declared 
she  was  never  ill.  She  sang  her  first  song  success- 
fully, but  by  the  second  her  cheeks  had  already 
taken  the  symptomatic  purple  hue  ;  nevertheless, 
she  bravely  attacked  her  third,  but  had  over- 
estimated her  powers,  for  she  too  succumbed,  thus 
bringing  the  performance  to  a  premature  close. 

And  now  that  the  artistes  were  incapacitated 
we  had  only  the  Indian  left.  He  showed  us  his 
passport,  covered  with  oflicial  stamps  of  every 
Government  in  the  world,  which  interested  us 
much.  His  business  in  Tangier  I  could  not 
discover,  though  it  is  possible — as  he  had  a  wide 
knowledge  of  Islam — that  he  was  going  to 
Morocco  in  the  service  of  the  English  Govern- 
ment. 

It  was  horribly  tedious  on  our  rocking  cockle- 
shell, and  four  days  passed  in  wearisome  idling. 


8      THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

I  ate  and  drank  all  I  could.  The  only  meat  was 
ham,  for  our  ship  was  not  provisioned  for  a 
harbourless  voyage.  We  could  "  borrow  "  nothing 
from  the  cargo,  for  the  whole  only  amounted  to 

I I  tons.  You  can  imagine  the  result  of  so  little 
ballast  and  such  a  sea.  On  the  fourth  day  I  urged 
the  captain  to  get  under  way,  and  he  consented. 
At  first  our  rate  of  passage  was  very  slow — only 
three  knots  an  hour — but  later  it  rose  to  five,  and 
the  next  day  to  seven.  Then  we  felt  as  though 
borne  upon  a  torpedo  boat,  and  exulted  when  the 
roaring  waves  dashed  their  spray  high  over  the 
decks  of  the  little  Adria, 

The  musicians  also  had  recovered,  and  Baja  sat 
crouched  up  in  a  heap,  her  white  cheeks  con- 
trasting with  her  raven  black  hair  like  ivory  and 
ebony.  She  had  glorious  eyes,  with  a  glow  in 
them  like  the  light  on  old  Spanish  red  wine. 
From  time  to  time  her  lips  parted,  and  the  flash 
of  her  teeth  was  as  white  as  almond  blossoms  ; 
but  as  yet  she  showed  no  further  animation  : 
mal  de  mer  had  rendered  her  limp  and  spiritless. 
When  we  reached  the  harbour  the  French  Consul 
took  charge  of  her,  and,  as  she  was  under  age, 
she  was  forced  to  return  to  Oran. 

Tangier  is  a  typical  Mohammedan  town,  clinging 


TANGIER  9 

to  the  fairly  steep  ascent  like  white  moss.  From 
the  sea  of  flat  roofs  rise  the  cupolas  and  towers  of 
the  mosques,  and  a  green  fringe  of  cacti  and  palms 
surrounds  the  whole  picture.  On  the  eastern  side, 
nestling  in  the  yellow  sand  of  the  little  Tangier 
desert,  peep  forth  the  European  houses  from  their 
encircling  green.  Behind  stretches  the  Spanish 
coast,  Gibraltar's  rock  looks  like  a  huge  Roman 
nose  jutting  out  to  sea,  and  Tarifa  shimmers  in 
the  sunshine. 

In  the  harbour  lay  a  gigantic  French  cruiser, 
Jeanne  d' Arc^  with  six  funnels  and  many  cannon 
pointing  their  long  sinister  barrels  on  Tangier. 

Alongside  this  forbidding,  menacing  monarch 
danced  a  little  yacht,  the  symbol  of  comfort  and 
pleasure.  Near  by  were  three  freight  steamers, 
genuine  traders,  boasting  neither  luxury  nor  power, 
but  designed  for  utility  alone. 

At  last,  after  much  patience,  suffering,  and 
self-control,  we  had  reached  our  goal. 

Before  us  lay  Morocco — Morocco,  the  stumb- 
ling-block of  statesmen  and  diplomatists,  the 
subject  of  many  books  ;  Morocco,  that  holds  the 
breath  of  nations,  that  has  well-nigh  kindled 
the  flames  of  an  European  war,  and  is  now  the 
bloody  field  of  many  violent  deeds.     Here  is  the 


lo     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

scene  of  Raisuli's  exploits,  here  the  Sultan  raises 
his  enforced  loans,  here  the  Mahalla  gain  their 
victories,  and  here  everything  is  promised  by  the 
Maghzen. 

Forward !  I  sprang  into  the  boat,  and  we 
made  for  the  harbour.  On  reaching  land  I 
mounted  an  ass,  which  carried  me  with  philosophic 
stolidity  into  the  city. 

II 

Seen  from  the  harbour,  Tangier  looks  as 
though  thousands  of  pigeons  in  their  snowy 
whiteness  had  settled  on  the  coast ;  but  Tangier 
is  not — like  Fez,  Elcazar,  or  Larache — a  daughter 
of  Allah  in  the  true  sense  of  the  term.  The 
scum  of  European  barbarism  obtrudes  on  the 
senses  at  every  step.  Many  modern  buildings, 
mere  smiling  caves  of  hungry  robbers,  spoil  the 
harmony  of  this  Arabian  poem  in  stone.  Is  it  not 
strikingly  remarkable  that  a  town  only  two  hours' 
distance  from  Gibraltar,  on  the  great  trade  water- 
way of  the  world,  should  have  preserved  for 
2,000  years  a  civilization  now  existing  in  Europe 
only  under  the  lava  and  ashes  of  Vesuvius  ? 

This  is  what  makes  Morocco  so  wonderful ! 
And  there,  opposite,  so  near  that  you  can  almost 


TANGIER  1 1 

stretch  your  arm  across  to  it,  lies  Spain,  the 
extremity  of  Europe,  smiling,  sunlit,  and  peaceful, 
with  no  outward  suggestion  that  it  is  the  home  of 
human  beasts  of  prey. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  city  is  the  Custom-house, 
and  there  the  white  parasites  of  officialdom  begin 
their  attack.  Allah  knows  nothing  of  such 
customs — we  alone,  barbarians  as  were  the  robber 
knights  of  old,  leave  none  in  peace,  and  plunder 
our  harmless  fellow-men  under  the  cover  of  laws 
which  we  robbers  have  made  for  ourselves. 

No  sooner  have  we  escaped  the  hands  of  these 
highwaymen  than  we  are  in  the  true  Orient. 
There  behind  the  Custom-house  begins  Morocco, 
which,  until  the  time  of  the  Algeciras  Conference, 
had  been  able  to  protect  itself  from  the  poisoned 
breath  of  European  civilization. 

We  went  through  incredibly  ill-paved  alleys, 
riddled  with  holes — not  such  as  may  be  seen  in 
some  lanes  of  Vienna,  but  enormous  cavities, 
whence  even  waggons,  having  once  fallen  in,  could 
not  be  extricated.  But  why  should  the  people 
have  well-made  roads  }  They  have  no  waggons 
or  carriages,  and  instead  of  repairing  the  streets 
they  accustom  themselves,  their  horses  and  asses, 
to  the  holes  and  ruts. 


12     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

The  people  have  lived  happily  thus  for  many 
hundred  years — in  fact,  more  happily  than  if  they 
had  broken  stones  in  the  hot  sun.  Theirs  is  the 
happiness  of  Diogenes,  born  of  absence  of  desire 
and  do  Ice  far  niente. 

A  great  road  leads  from  the  harbour  to  the 
large  and  small  markets,  which  are  called  the 
Sokko.  All  the  sites  here  have  been  taken  by 
the  European  bandits  from  the  former  possessors. 
Already  in  the  Little  Sok  are  European  houses  ; 
English,  German,  and  French  post-offices  ;  shops, 
cafes,  and  the  newly  erected  State  Bank  of 
Morocco — the  den  of  thieves  par  excellence.  But 
below  and  above  the  Little  S6k  is  the  home  of  the 
true  Moorish  life.  The  magistrate  administers 
his  office  in  an  open  booth,  and  shops  displaying 
native  products  line  the  road  to  the  Great  Sok. 
The  Great  S6k  has  entirely  preserved  its  Arabian 
character;  even  the  German  Legation  does  not 
disturb  the  harmony,  for  it  has  been  built  in 
Moorish  style.  The  English  church,  too,  is  a 
very  beautiful  example  of  Arabian  architecture. 
The  Hotel  de  France  is  the  only  building  which 
is  a  direct  insult  to  the  beautiful  place.  The  Great 
S6k  swarms  with  people,  asses,  mules,  horses. 
Tents  are  pitched  higgledy-piggledy,  and   every- 


TANGIER  13 

where  stand  tables  with  fly-covered  delicacies. 
Human  figures  crouching  on  the  ground  barter 
lime,  branches  of  trees,  bread,  other  things  for 
daily  use,  and  even  women.  Among  them  move 
the  blacks,  carrying  on  their  shoulders  water  in 
goat-skins,  which  they  sell  and  serve  out  in  bowls. 
They  ring  a  bell  loudly  as  they  go,  and  if  this 
does  not  attract  enough  attention,  they  shout  and 
yell,  regardless  of  the  bystanders*  nerves.  In 
Naples  there  is  a  statue  from  Herculaneum,  pre- 
senting with  astonishing  likeness  the  type  of  the 
present-day  water-bearer.  He  belongs  to  a  caste 
that  has  its  own  traditional  customs.  Even  his 
gait  is  peculiar,  and  all  these  water-bearers  have 
this  same  miovement.  The  Moroccan  carriers  are 
blacks  :  the  street  comedians  come  from  the  same 
race;  they  execute  dances,  and  cut  horrible 
grimaces. 

A  holy  man,  with  a  necklace  of  cowrie  shells 
and  a  green  robe,  wanders  round  the  S6k.  Every- 
where he  moves  the  people  kiss  his  hands  and 
shoulders,  and  in  return  for  gifts  of  money  he 
foretells  them  happy  futures.  There  is  in  Tangier 
only  one  of  these  holy  men,  Fez  is  blessed  with 
many. 

In  the  Sokko  at  Tangier   may  be  found  the 


14    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

story-teller.  Men,  women,  and  children  stand 
in  a  half-circle  round  him,  listening  while  he 
relates  a  thrilling  story  with  dramatic  gestures. 
He  stops  at  the  most  exciting  moment,  so  that  he 
may  secure  his  audience  for  the  next  day.  He 
takes  no  entrance  money,  but  relies  on  small  gifts. 
What  a  contrast  is  there  between  this  refinement 
and  our  European  barbarism  !  Here,  rich  and 
poor  alike  may  enjoy  the  treat,  each  giving  what 
he  can  spare ;  with  us,  exploiters  guard  the 
entrance,  and  only  those  are  allowed  to  partake  of 
the  pleasure  who  voluntarily  submit  to  robbery — 
called  the  Price  of  Admission. 

In  the  middle  of  the  Sok  a  troupe  of  acrobats 
performs  the  whole  day  long  ;  they  come  from 
Timbuctoo,  the  Arabian  Paris,  source  of  all  that 
is  enchanting  and  immoral.  The  people  throng 
to  see  this  performance.  The  performers  are 
dressed  just  like  our  travelling  acrobats,  and  the 
clown  plays  the  chief  part.  They  make  no  fixed 
charge,  but  the  head  of  the  troupe  describes  the 
wonders  to  be  performed,  and  harangues  till 
people  begin  to  pay.  Then  he  does  what  he  has 
promised.  The  tricks  and  performances  are  also 
accompanied  by  music ;  in  fact,  it  is  a  kind  of 
circus. 


TANGIER  15 

Whoever  observes  this  S6k,  and  the  multitude 
of  people  bargaining  and  conversing  without  dis- 
pute or  quarrelling,  must  do  honour  to  their 
refinement.  In  Europe  not  twenty  men  can  be 
together  without  quarrelling.  It  seems  to  me  that 
perhaps  the  Mohammedan  treatment  of  women  is 
the  reason  for  this  harmony.  We  quarrel  chiefly 
about  women,  or  are  incited  by  them,  and  here 
that  source  of  strife  is  non-existent. 

The  S6k  serves  many  purposes ;  here  punish- 
ments are  executed  and  the  great  religious 
observances  held.  Justice  in  Morocco  is  primitive 
and  cruel.  Mohammed  has  written  in  the  Koran 
what  deeds  are  punishable,  but  has  left  the  judge 
to  allot  the  punishment.  It  depends,  there- 
fore, entirely  upon  whether  the  judge  is  a  humane 
or  a  brutal  man.  Imprisonment  is  seldom  in- 
flicted, for  who  shall  keep  and  provide  for  the 
prisoner  ? 

The  Jews  have  their  own  laws  and  judges. 
The  Moors  have  always  distinguished  themselves 
for  their  good  treatment  of  the  Jews,  the  reason 
being  that  the  exiled  Spanish  Jews  wandered  to 
Morocco,  conducted  by  the  Rabbi  Daniel  Toledano, 
and  their  descendants  live  in  Tangier  to  this  day. 
At   the   time   of    the    nineteenth    Rabbi   of   the 


i6     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

family  of  Toledano,  the  Sultan  drew  up  a  written 
contract  exactly  defining  the  rights  and  duties  of 
the  Jews.  So  the  Jews  form  a  State  within  a  State. 
The  common  recognition  of  this  is  attested  by  the 
fact  that  in  1864  Baron  Montefiore  represented 
himself,  and  was  acknowledged  in  Fez,  as  the 
Ambassador  of  the  Jews.  The  present  Ambassador 
is  called  Nahon  et  Pariente. 

Religious  festivals  are  also  held  in  the  S6k. 
During  my  stay  I  had  the  good  fortune,  on  the 
occasion  of  the  Feast  of  Mouled,  to  see  the  dance 
of  the  Aissaui  and  the  Hamadshas.  It  was  about 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  ;  the  Sok  was  full  of 
people ;  women  were  seated  on  the  roofs,  all  waiting 
breathlessly  for  the  performance  to  begin.  Men 
appeared  in  the  portal  of  the  gate  carrying  flags — 
like  our  church  flags.  Four  flags  were  placed  in 
the  direction  of  the  path  to  be  presently  pursued, 
and  four  remained  by  the  gate ;  behind  these  were 
posted  the  musicians  upon  mules ;  in  the  space 
between  the  flag-bearers  were  the  Aissaui,  the 
adherents  of  the  sect  founded  by  Sidi  Mhamed 
Ben  Aissa. 

This  Sidi  Ben  Aissa  was  a  holy  man,  a  Sherif, 
descendant  of  the  Prophet,  and  lived  at  the 
beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  in    Mekines. 


TANGIER  17 

He  was  extremely  holy,  and  worked  miracles.  He 
prayed  so  much  that  he  had  no  time  left  for  sleep; 
so,  to  prevent  himself  from  dozing  during  his 
pious  exercises,  he  let  his  hair  grow  long,  and 
tied  his  head  up  with  it,  so  that  it  should  not  sink 
forward.  Therefore  his  followers,  the  Aissaui, 
wear  their  hair  long  and  throw  it  about  like  a  mane. 

Ben  Aissa  enjoined  politeness,  brotherly  love, 
charity,  and  self-control,  and  was,  therefore,  given 
the  name  of  Shaik  el  Kamel,  or  the  perfect 
Shaik;  but  all  these  qualities  would  not  have 
sufficed  to  gain  him  so  many  adherents  had  he  not 
also  worked  miracles. 

In  his  time  the  Portuguese  were  in  possession 
of  part  of  the  country,  and  a  woman,  whose  son 
had  been  carried  off  as  prisoner,  hastened  to 
demand  help  from  Sidi  Ben  Aissa.  Ben  Aissa, 
probably  in  order  to  be  rid  of  her,  said :  ''  Go  to 
thy  house,  and  thou  shalt  find  thy  son."  She 
went  and  found  him  there;  he  had  effected  his 
escape  by  flight.  When  Ben  Aissa's  renown 
eventually  grew  so  great  that  people  came  from 
all  parts  of  the  country  to  see  him,  the  Sultan 
wished  to  banish  him  from  Mekines.  The  story 
runs  that  Ben  Aissa  then  took  a  bladder,  inflated 
it,  and  thereupon  the  Sultan  was  himself  afflicted 

2 


1 8     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

with  a  swelling ;  but  on  hearing  the  cause  of  his 
affliction,  he  withdrew  his  decree,  and  became  well 
again. 

The  curious  thing  is  that  this  holy  man  should 
have  founded  such  a  sect.  He  preached  self- 
control  and  self-abnegation.  In  order  to  test  his 
disciples  he  demanded  that  twelve  of  them,  instead 
of  offering  up  lambs,  should  voluntarily  sacrifice 
themselves  at  the  Aid  el  Kebir.  All  declared 
themselves  willing,  but  he  refused  their  offers. 
He  personally  always  practised  the  strictest  self- 
mortification,  and  initiated  his  disciples  in  the 
practice;  and  they  subsequently  went  to  such 
extremes  as  to  eat  living  animals,  cactus  fruit,  and 
many  such  things. 

These  practices,  at  first  merely  means  to  an  end, 
became  the  end  itself.  They  tear  open  the  stomach 
of  living  animals  with  their  nails,  and  eat  the 
smoking  flesh  of  the  still  trembling  body.  It  is 
even  more  frightful  to  see  them  eat  the  fruit  of 
the  cactus,  for  the  sharp  thorns  tear  the  flesh  of  the 
mouth,  and,  by  piercing  the  intestines,  often  lead 
to  death. 

To  be  initiated  into  the  order  a  man  must  go  to 
the  descendants  of  Ben  Aissa  in  Mecca  and  be 
ordained,  as  it  were.     Even  this  first  ceremony  is 


TANGIER  19 

fairly  unpleasant.  When  this  is  over,  he  is  given 
a  name,  say  Tiger,  Lion,  or  Jackal,  and  must  eat 
living  animals ;  if  he  is  given  the  title  of  Camel,  he 
has  to  eat  prickly  fruit.  These  are  the  followers 
of  the  highest  grade,  who  eat  poisonous  snakes  in 
public  places.  Beside  these  are  those  of  the 
second  and  third  rank,  the  Gyonlyin  and  Hartyin. 
The  former  execute  horrible  dances,  uttering  cries 
of  various  animals  ;  while  the  latter  dance  in  a 
more  restrained  manner.  The  priests,  dressed 
similarly  to  those  in  our  own  churches,  publicly 
eat  snakes  and  toads  of  all  kinds. 

I  wanted  to  see  the  performance  at  close 
quarters,  but  a  soldier  took  my  horse  by  the 
bridle  and  led  me  away,  because  before  the 
Aissaui  begin  their  dance  they  take  some  stimu- 
lating drug,  which  puts  them  into  such  ecstasies 
that  they  are  dangerous  to  man  and  beast.  The 
musicians  meanwhile  play  an  air  something  like 
the  Czardas.  The  Aissaui,  men,  women,  and 
children,  form  a  circle  round  the  priest  and  dance 
like  mad  people.  All  the  limbs  and  parts  of  the 
body  are  in  violent  movement,  and  the  head  is 
thrown  round  and  round  and  backwards  and  for- 
wards in  such  a  manner  that  one  of  the  Aissaui 
fall  down  about  every  two  minutes.     This  goes 

2 — 2 


20    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

on  for  hours,  till  they  fall  to  the  ground  from  ex- 
haustion. The  gyrations  of  the  mops  of  hair  are 
fascinating  to  watch.  From  time  to  time  they 
raise  their  hands  to  heaven  with  the  piercing  cry, 
"  Jobhana  Eddaim  !"  (Eternal  glory  !)  Looking 
round,  it  was  curious  to  note  how  the  onlookers 
sympathetically  danced  also  ;  even  my  companion, 
one  of  the  Portuguese  Legation,  made  Aissaui 
movements. 

After  these  religious  maniacs  have  danced  them- 
selves nearly  dead,  they  set  out  on  their  pilgrimage 
to  Mekines — said  to  be  very  beautiful.  It  was 
built  by  white  slaves,  and  it  is  related  that  when 
any  one  of  them  became  exhausted  with  his  labour 
he  was  immured  alive. 

The  treasure  of  the  Sultan  is  said  to  be  kept  in 
a  subterranean  cellar,  and  guarded  by  black  slaves, 
who  are  condemned  never  to  see  the  light  of  day 
while  they  live. 

While  the  Mouled  Festival  lasts,  and  all 
pilgrims  flock  thither,  the  Aissaui  are  lords  of  the 
city  for  fourteen  days,  and  during  that  time  the 
Jews  are  shut  into  their  houses. 

The  Aissaui  are  sent  for  to  heal  the  sick  and  to 
prophesy.  In  time  of  drought  they  beseech  Allah 
to  send  rain.     If  these  prayers  are  of  no  avail,  a 


TANGIER  21 

never  -  failing  means  is  resorted  to.  Seventy 
thousand  stones  are  gathered  together,  and  over 
each  stone  a  charm  must  be  pronounced,  and  the 
stones  put  in  a  sack  and  laid  in  the  river.  When 
rain  at  last  comes,  then  the  sack  is  drawn  out  of 
the  river.  This  is  most  efficacious.  On  one 
occasion  the  rain  came  in  such  torrents  that  the 
stones  could  not  be  withdrawn,  and  the  water 
rose  and  flooded  the  town.  The  Aissaui  play  an 
important  part  in  Moroccan  life,  and  are  to  be 
found  in  every  town. 

Eight  days  after  the  occurrence  I  have  just 
described  a  similar  celebration  took  place — the 
dance  of  the  Hamadshas.  As  before,  the  Sok 
was  crowded  with,  men,  women,  and  children,  and 
all  the  alleys  were  full  of  bustling  life.  At  four 
o'clock  came  the  flag-bearers,  and  the  same  music, 
played  from  the  backs  of  mules,  that  we  heard  for 
the  Aissaui.  An  old  priest,  in  white  robes,  began 
the  holy  dance  in  the  midst  of  a  dancing  circle, 
from  time  to  time  slashing  himself  on  the  head 
with  a  curiously  constructed  chopper,  till  the 
blood  streamed  down  his  face.  Two  by  two  the 
Hamadshas  advanced  into  the  circle,  going 
through  the  same  performance  till  the  blood 
flowed  freely  and  they  fell  fainting  to  the  ground. 


22     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

The  old  priest  was  carried  round  among  them, 
and  gave  his  blessing  to  the  faithful,  murmuring 
many  incoherent  words.  Even  children  take  part 
in  this  orgy  of  blood.  The  Hamadshas  also 
wound  themselves  with  the  impact  of  great  balls, 
thrown  in  the  air  and  allowed  to  fall  on  their 
heads.  Unskilful  throwers  kill  themselves,  or  are 
rendered  unconscious,  and  have  to  be  carried 
away.  These  are,  surely,  among  the  most  appal- 
ling exhibitions  of  religious  madness  anywhere  to 
be  found. 

The  day  after  these  orgies  I  went  for  a  walk 
with  Fox-Pitt,  and  as  we  were  crossing  the  Sok  a 
tremendous  uproar  arose;  soldiers  armed  with 
sticks  passed  us  hurriedly,  people  were  eagerly 
running  forward,  and  we  could  see  the  sticks 
being  raised  in  the  air.  Forced  forward  by  the 
crowd,  we  wound  our  way  among  the  yelling 
people  in  time  to  see  a  European  being  hustled 
out  of  a  small  booth.  The  soldiers  were  protect- 
ing him  from  the  fury  of  the  crowd,  and  as  they 
led  him  along  they  soundly  cuffed  him  at  every 
step.  I  should  not  have  believed  it  possible  for  a 
man  to  survive  such  a  rain  of  blows. 

What  could  have  happened  ?  I  soon  discovered. 
A  Spaniard,  it  seemed,  had  had  some  quarrel  with 


TANGIER  23 

another  Spaniard,  and  the  soldiers  wanting  to  part 
them,  the  Spaniard  drew  a  revolver  and  shot  one 
of  them  in  the  leg.  Hence  the  whole  disturbance. 
Such  breaches  of  the  peace  greatly  annoy  the 
Arabs,  who  are  a  peaceful  race.  The  culprit  was 
taken  to  the  Spanish  Consulate  and  handed  over 
to  the  Spanish  Courts  of  Justice. 

I  asked  the  soldiers  why  they  had  beaten  him 
so.  They  replied,  the  Consul  would  not  be  likely 
to  punish  him,  so  they  determined  to  give  him 
something  to  take  away  with  him  in  remembrance. 
So  little  confidence  have  the  Moors  in  the  justice 
of  the  white  barbarians !  I  suggested  to  the  men 
that  the  Sultan  should  adopt  the  precedent  set 
by  the  French,  who  had  occupied  Oujda  owing 
to  the  affaire  Marchand,  and  take  Cadiz  for  the 
Spaniard's  offence.  To  this  idea  they  heartily 
subscribed.  Unluckily,  the  only  warship  of  the 
Sultan  was  under  repair. 

Ill 

There  is  much  social  life  in  Tangier.  The 
Diplomatic  Corps  is  composed  of  young  men — 
young,  relatively  speaking,  for  fifty  is  not  old  for 
a  diplomat,  especially  if  he  has  a  young  and  pretty 
wife.     In   Tangier  all  the  diplomats,  if  they  are 


24     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

married  at  all,  have  young  and  pretty  wives,  and 
they  all  live  in  beautiful  houses,  particularly  the 
German  and  English  section.  Soldiers  guard  the 
entrances,  and  after  dark  the  watch  calls  the  time 
every  five  minutes,  which  is  very  disturbing  till 
you  get  used  to  it. 

Every  kind  of  sport,  polo,  football,  tennis,  is 
possible  in  Tangier.  Balls,  even  masked  balls, 
are  given,  and  there  is  no  escaping  tea  and  dinner 
parties.  I  had  the  impression  that  Arabian  culture 
had  beneficially  influenced  the  Diplomatic  Corps. 
Or  is  it  that  Europeans  feel  more  drawn  to  each 
other  when  sojourning  in  a  strange  land  ? 

In  the  Diplomatic  Corps  there  are  the  Pro- 
Moors  and  the  Anti-Moors.  When  I  arrived  at 
Tangier  I  was  an  Anti-Moor,  because  on  landing 
a  Moorish  fellow  had  cheated  me,  but  the  tender 
hands  of  a  pretty  woman  opened  my  blind  eyes 
and  made  me  see. 

An  old  friend,  who  some  years  ago  had  been  at 
the  Legation  in  Vienna,  telephoned  to  me  the 
second  day  after  my  arrival  to  go  and  dine  with 
her  ;  so  I  ordered  a  mule  for  one  o'clock,  in  order 
to  be  there  in  one  and  a  half  hours,  but  the  mule 
did  not  arrive,  and  so  I  had  to  go  on  foot.  The 
way  was  long,  and  the  rays  of  the  sun  beat  down 


TANGIER  25 

like  a  solar  hailstorm.  A  small  Arab  accom- 
panied me,  and  shouted  our  business  to  every 
passer-by.  At  last  I  reached  the  Legation,  which 
lay  in  smiling  peacefulness  behind  a  grove.  The 
blossoming  orange-trees  filled  the  air  with  frag- 
rance, and  everything  around  quivered  in  the  burn- 
ing beams.  An  old  Arab,  with  flowing  beard  and 
richly  embroidered  robes,  took  my  hat  and  stick. 
The  house  itself  was  Moorish,  but  everything 
in  it  European.  I  was  late,  and  feared  the 
hostess's  wrath,  but  she  received  me  smilingly, 
and  with  no  trace  of  ill-temper  ;  my  stammering 
apologies  were  waved  aside — in  Tangier  one  is 
accustomed  to  late  arrivals — and  we  went  in  to 
dine. 

There  were  others  there,  among  them  Fox-Pitt, 
my  companion  in  later  journeys. 

Our  hostess  had  been  five  years  in  Tangier  ; 
she  had  come  from  Vienna,  and  was  still  as  true 
a  Viennese  as  if  she  had  never  left  it,  though  she 
was  American  by  birth.  The  two  years  she  had 
spent  in  Vienna,  though  then  not  much  more  than 
a  child,  had  made  her  quite  an  Austrian.  On  the 
walls  hung  photographs  of  Viennese,  even  of  my 
own  relatives. 

The    conversation    after    dinner    became    very 


26     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

interesting  ;  it  betrayed  no  tone  of  arrogant  con- 
quest, but  was  influenced  by  the  mind  of  this 
refined  and  cultured  woman,  a  type  only  to  be 
found  among  Anglo-Saxon  races.  She  had  been 
five  years  in  this  country,  and  had  observed 
everything  around  her  with  the  eye  and  ear  of 
an  artist.  She  charmed  me  into  that  attitude  of 
brotherly  love  for  all  men  to  which  poets  alone 
are  always  sensitive. 

She  proclaimed  the  right  of  a  people  to  their 
own  country — the  right  to  adhere  to  their  own 
customs  and  manners,  as  well  as  their  right  to 
govern  themselves. 

She  compared  the  people  to  members  of  her 
own  family,  who  could  not  develop  their  natures 
and  possibilities  unless  free  to  do  so  in  the 
manner  natural  to  them.  To  understand  is 
to  forgive — nay,  often  also  to  respect.  We 
Europeans  habitually  despise  and  under-estimate 
what  we  do  not  understand,  although  we  are 
the  upstarts  of  civilization  compared  to  the  Jews, 
Indians,  and  Arabians.  We  are  the  nouveaux 
riches.  Where  grew  the  roots  of  our  own 
culture .?  In  these  very  races  that  thousands 
of  years  before  us  were  the  upholders  of  a  great 
civilization. 


TANGIER  27 

Just  as  a  rich  and  successful  banker  should 
respect  an  impoverished  nobleman,  so  we  should 
have  a  reverent  admiration  for  a  people  to  whom 
we  owe  so  much,  and  whom  we  have  subjected 
through  our  bloodthirsty  lust  of  conquest  and 
craving  for  gold.  No  one  has  a  right  to  disturb 
any  slumbering  nation  content  with  its  own 
condition. 

So  she  spoke,  fired  with  the  love  of  justice  and 
the  Anglo-Saxon  respect  for  foreign  civilizations. 

We  met  often  after  this,  and  one  day  arranged 
a  little  excursion.  We  rode,  accompanied  by  a 
charming  Frenchwoman,  to  a  hill-side  covered  with 
olive-trees.  On  my  left  rode  the  Frenchwoman, 
slender  as  a  cedar  of  Lebanon,  with  hair  dark  as 
the  raven's  wing  ;  and  on  my  right  my  friend,  in 
her  fair  simplicity  and  tenderness.  Thus,  between 
the  glory  of  night  and  radiancy  of  day,  I  galloped 
under  the  palms  of  that  strange  country.  Among 
the  shady  olives  stretching  down  the  stony  slope 
we  found  breakfast  awaiting  us.  Near  by  was  an 
Arabian  cemetery,  with  sacred  trees — a  peaceful 
refuge  between  the  rocks,  whence  we  could  look 
far  away  over  the  country.  The  sea  was  spark- 
ling in  the  sunshine,  and  the  white  surf  encircled 
the  coast  as  with  a  pearly  necklace.     Some  dis- 


2  8     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

tance  inland  white  tents,  the  home  of  a  party 
of  pig-stickers,  were  visible.  It  was  a  dream  of 
beauty  ;  the  peaceful  spirits  of  the  dead  seemed 
to  hover  around  us  in  the  whispering  of  the 
leaves,  stirred  by  the  gentle  sea-breeze. 

A  discussion  arose,  but  our  French  companion 
could  not  follow  the  flight  of  our  idealistic  fancies. 
She  was  no  Pro- Moor  ;  she  was  true  French,  and 
in  her  eyes  everything  else  was  pure  barbarism. 
It  was  impossible  to  argue  with  her.  How  hard 
it  always  is  to  discuss  with  lovely  women !  When 
one  believes  they  are  convinced  they  part  their 
lips,  show  a  dazzling  row  of  pearls,  and  give  an 
arch  glance,  which  clearly  says  one  is  a  fool. 
But  even  that  is  charming !  Besides,  the  French- 
woman was  not  a  fanatic,  and  she  may  have  been 
right  to  see  Morocco  less  couleur  de  rose  than  we 
did. 

There  are  also  other  foreign  residents  in 
Morocco  besides  diplomats  and  ambassadors  ;  one 
is  an  Englishman  of  the  third  generation.  This 
gentleman  has  the  most  exquisite  garden  of  its 
kind  I  have  ever  seen.  On  Sunday  morning  I 
was  sitting  on  the  terrace  of  the  Villa  Palentina, 
when  a  lady  of  my  acquaintance  invited  me  to  go 
and  see  "Brooke's  Garden."     In  the  south  of  the 


TANGIER  29 

town,  on  a  gently  sloping  hill,  lay  garden  above 
garden  ;  in  the  midst,  a  small  house,  where  a 
luxuriant  clematis,  blue  as  the  eyes  of  my  com- 
panion, shaded  the  dwelling  like  a  veil  made 
from  the  firmament  itself.  A  palm  of  unusual 
size  dropped  its  green  tracery  across  our  path. 

The  air  was  filled  with  delightful  scents,  sweet 
sounds,  and  graceful  movements ;  glistening 
blackbirds  flitted  here  and  there,  wood-pigeons 
cooed  with  sweet  monotony,  great  black  ravens 
floated  away  on  heavy  wing  before  us,  and  in  the 
branches  twittered  and  fluttered  an  innumerable 
host  of  feathered  folk. 

I  was  reluctant  to  leave  this  lovely  spot,  where 
all  was  love  and  beauty. 

There  is  a  vigorous  political  life  in  Tangier. 
Committees  sit  every  day,  but  that  does  not 
prevent  undue  attention  being  given  to  the  social 
life. 


CHAPTER  II 

VILLA   PALENTINA 

Some  way  out  of  the  town,  perched  high  on  hilly- 
ground,  the  Villa  Palentina  basks  in  the  sun 
among  its  palm-trees — a  veritable  Tyrolean  home. 
Frau  Hell,  the  hostess,  is  the  ruling  spirit  of 
the  Villa  Palentina  ;  her  untiring  energy  is  won- 
derful. I  can  truly  say  that  when  abroad  I  have 
seldom  been  proud  of  anything  from  my  own 
country,  but  I  was  distinctly  proud  of  our 
Tyrolean  home  in  Tangier.  Villa  Palentina  is 
no  hotel ;  it  is  a  villa  where  Frau  Hell  warmly 
welcomes  her  guests  ;  and  when  one  remembers 
that  every  drop  of  water  has  to  be  bought,  and 
that  the  daily  provisioning  of  the  house  is  an 
achievement  of  immense  difficulty,  one  marvels 
that  it  is  possible  to  live  so  well  and  cheaply. 
Everything  was  good  there,  far  better  than  in  the 
great  hotels  of  Algiers  and  Tunis.  Why  do  our 
countrymen  go  to  the  distant  and  expensive  Cairo, 

30 


VILLA  PALENTINA  31 

when  near  at  hand,  charming  and  cheap,  is 
Tangier  ? 

Villa  Palentina  entertained  many  guests.  In 
the  little  dining-room  a  motley  collection  of  people 
was  gathered  round  one  table — diplomats,  with  no 
house  of  their  own  ;  Swiss  officers,  waiting  in 
vain  for  the  erection  of  a  police-station  ;  hungry 
capitalists,  engineers,  merchants,  adventurers,  an 
artist,  and  myself,  a  refugee,  banished  from  his 
Fatherland  because  he  had  spoken  the  truth  in 
Parliament,  and  whose  liberty  was  therefore 
threatened.  We  spoke  many  tongues,  and  lived 
together  as  one  family. 

The  artist  was  an  Englishman  with  the  curious 
name  of  Fox-Pitt.  What  an  irony  of  Fate  to 
unite  the  two  greatest  of  political  opponents  in 
one  name  !  Here  was  also  an  English  captain 
who  had  been  badly  wounded  in  the  Boer  War  ; 
we  two  had  fought  against  each  other  at  Jacobstal, 
but  that  opposition  has  all  been  forgotten. 

It  is  not  long  since  no  Englishman  would  speak 
to  me  because  I  had  fought  on  the  side  of  the 
Boers,  and  now  Botha  has  been  feted  in  England 
like  a  crowned  head.  But,  after  all,  was  it  not 
logical  that  I,  ardent  upholder  of  the  belief  that 
every  nation  has  a  right  to  its  own  national  life, 


32     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

should  take  the  part  of  a  small  nation  struggling 
for  its  existence  ? 

Did  England  not  admittedly  do  a  great  wrong 
in  fighting  the  Boers  ?  But  I  did  not  fight  against 
England — that  I  have  always  loved  like  my  native 
land — but  against  injustice,  and  now  England  has 
behaved  with  true  noblesse  oblige^  and  has  restored 
to  the  Boers  their  just  rights. 

After  the  Boer  War,  when  I  was  taken  prisoner 
to  England  seven  years  ago,  I  dined  with  Mr. 
Balfour  in  London,  who  said  to  me  :  '*  As  far  as 
it  is  possible,  we  shall  give  the  Transvaal  self- 
government."  This  intention  of  the  Conservatives 
has  been  carried  out  by  the  Liberals,  for  all  parties 
in  Great  Britain  are  Englishmen.  England  spilt 
her  blood  and  spent  her  money  for  honour's  sake, 
and  then  magnanimously  refused  to  exercise  her 
power. 

What  a  height  of  culture !  It  will  take  the 
Continent  long  to  attain  such  magnanimity  of 
spirit. 

Time,  healer  of  all  things,  has  bridged  the  gulf 
which  once  divided  me  from  the  English. 

So  here  we  were,  all  good  friends,  bound 
together  by  a  common  love  of  whist  and  bridge. 

About  twelve  miles  from  Tangier  very  good 


VILLA  PALENTINA  33 

pig-sticking  is  to  be  had.  The  small  world — 
that  is,  the  elite — journey  to  Kafla  Kab  to  live 
in  tents  while  the  pig-hunting  lasts.  A  retired 
English  colonel,  who  invited  me  to  take  part,  led 
the  hunt,  and  was  a  most  enthusiastic  pig-sticker. 
Continental  pensioned  officers  spend  their  days  in 
cafes  talking  of  their  wrongs,  and  generally  finding 
fault  with  everything,  but  the  retired  English 
officers  seek  active  hobbies  and  occupations.  Not 
only  the  colonel,  but  his  wife  and  daughter  too, 
were  full  of  the  sport,  and  the  wife  had  the  good 
luck  to  spear  the  largest  hog  in  Morocco.  The 
colonel  had  kindly  provided  me  with  horse, 
tent,  and  a  spear,  and  I  rode  with  Fox-Pitt  for 
companion. 

It  was  a  glorious  morning,  and  as  we  left  the 
heights  of  Tangier  the  sea  lay  shining  before  us 
and  the  land  receded  into  the  dim  distance.  A 
great  rock  ran  out  into  the  sea,  and  on  the  other 
side  we  could  see  Spain,  with  its  great  mountains 
and  yellow,  shining  sands.  Our  way  led  inland 
through  an  artificial  plain  to  a  narrow,  well-worn 
path  winding  beside  the  hills  ;  on  one  of  them 
glimmered  under  the  palms  a  white  koubba,  the 
grave  of  a  holy  man. 

The  whole  of  this  gentle  slope  is  planted  with 

3 


34     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

olives.  It  is  a  sacred  grove  ;  were  it  not  so  the 
people  would  have  felled  it  long  before. 

We  passed  two  lonely,  empty  houses,  the  in- 
security of  recent  times  having  compelled  the 
inhabitants  to  take  refuge  in  the  city. 

After  a  journey  of  two  hours,  we  arrived  at 
Kafla  Kab.  Little  white  tents  were  dotted  every- 
where among  the  dwarf  palms  of  the  district.  It 
was  quite  a  town  swarming  with  life — horses, 
mules,  and  picturesque  Arabs  at  every  step,  and 
behind  all  the  open  sea.  We  could  see  the  waves 
kissing  the  rocks,  and  even  hear  their  murmur,  as 
of  secrets  whispered  to  the  land. 

The  noise  of  our  horses'  hoofs  aroused  the 
dwellers  of  the  tents,  and  they  crawled  cautiously 
out  to  see  the  arrivals — always  an  event. 

We  met  many  friends,  and,  after  a  social  glass 
of  whisky  and  soda,  set  out  on  the  hunt.  Every- 
one had  a  long  spear  except  the  English  parson, 
who  carried  a  camera  instead.  Numberless  dogs 
followed  the  colonel,  who  was  mounted  on  a 
splendid  full-blood  Arab  with  flowing  mane  and 
tail. 

A  small  rocky  hill  overlooked  the  plain,  and 
from  here  the  ladies  who  were  not  taking  part 
watched  the  hunt.     We  rode  forward  ;    on  each 


VILLA  PALENTINA  35 

side  grew  thick  bushes,  and  in  the  middle  was 
a  dried-up  swamp.  The  riders  were  divided  into 
parties  of  twos  and  threes,  and  a  shot  gave  the 
signal  for  the  hunt  to  begin. 

I  rode  with  the  wife  of  the  colonel.  On  each 
side  drivers  were  beating  the  bushes,  and  when  a 
pig  showed  itself  they  fired  off  a  shot. 

Partly  hidden  by  young  cork  oaks,  we  watched 
the  plain  with  keen  eyes,  and  rode  forward  at  a 
gallop  whenever  we  caught  sight  of  a  pig.  The 
sun  was  dazzlingly  hot,  and  the  air  visibly  trembled 
above  the  dried  brown  vegetation. 

Cows  and  sheep  grazed  peacefully,  ignoring  us 
entirely.  A  little  further  off  two  camels  could  be 
seen  in  the  green,  but  they  only  lifted  their 
heads  in  momentary  astonishment,  then  turned 
unconcerned  to  resume  their  feeding.  Quite  a 
young  one,  but  a  few  days  old,  blue-grey  in 
colour,  like  fresh  clay,  attempted  to  run  away, 
but  its  four  long  legs  were  evidently  not  yet 
skilled  in  movement,  and  the  baby  camel  cut  a 
very  droll  figure  in  its  awkward  haste. 

We  waited  a  long  time,  and  I  was  beginning  to 
despair  of  a  quarry,  when  a  group  of  the  riders 
galloped  furiously  past  us.  We  followed,  and 
came  up  just  in  time  to  see  an  English  colonel 

3—2 


'7,6     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

from  Gibraltar  overtake  a  pig  and  lance  him. 
The  enraged  beast  turned  on  the  horse,  wound- 
ing its  foot,  when,  the  other  riders  attacking  it, 
the  pig,  fatally  wounded,  ran  into  the  bushes, 
and  fell  dead  near  the  edge.  We  all  now 
adjourned  for  breakfast,  and  found  a  fragrant 
meal  awaiting  us  on  the  hill.  The  parson  tried 
to  photograph  the  hunting-party,  and  was  arrang- 
ing the  position  of  the  group  when  three  wild 
pigs  rushed  from  the  bushes.  He  seized  his 
camera  and  hastily  fled,  while  the  men  sprang  to 
their  horses  and  managed  to  kill  all  three  of  the 
unexpected  guests. 

Our  hunting-ground  was  full  of  holes  and 
hillocks,  and  the  speed  of  the  galloping  horses 
made  the  sport  a  very  dangerous  one. 

Only  the  day  before  a  rather  bad  accident 
occurred.  A  Spanish  diplomat  had  stuck  a  wild 
boar,  holding  his  lance  under  his  shoulder  after 
the  manner  of  the  knights  of  old.  The  lance 
piercing  the  boar  in  the  breast  brought  the  rider 
off  his  horse.  The  wounded  animal  rushed  at 
once  upon  the  Spaniard  and  ripped  up  his  arm 
and  leg.  It  might  have  been  worse,  for  the  boar 
could  easily  have  killed  him.  As  the  horse  going 
at   full   speed   cannot  bring  up  on  the  spot,  but 


VILLA  PALENTINA  37 

gallops  onwards,  the  rider  often  comes  off  when 
the  lance  pierces  the  animal.  Accidents  are 
naturally  always  happening,  and  it  is  just  the 
dangerous  nature  of  the  prey,  of  course,  that 
makes  the  sport  so  exciting. 

We  then  returned  to  camp,  and  spent  the 
evening  in  the  company  of  the  ladies.  Whilst 
we  were  here  we  succeeded  in  getting  Mr. 
Hawkins,  who  had  arranged  the  camp  at  his 
own  expense,  to  arrange  our  journey  to  Fez,  for 
Fox-Pitt  and  I  had  agreed  to  make  this  expedition 
together.  The  Ambassadors,  however,  warned  us, 
and  would  not  accept  any  responsibility.  Other 
prudent  advisers  also  said  the  time  was  unfavour- 
able, for  during  the  Feast  of  Mouled  all  the 
religious  fanatics  were  on  pilgrimages,  and  might 
attack  us  on  the  road  ;  but  we  held  fast  to  our 
plan,  and  agreed  to  set  out  on  the  20th. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  JOURNEY  TO  FEZ 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  we  left  Tangier, 
amid  the  cheers  and  good  wishes  of  our  fellow- 
guests  at  Villa  Palentina.  Our  caravan  awaited 
us  in  Kafla  Kab,  where  we  were  to  pass  the 
night.  I  felt  too  impatient  to  enjoy  taking 
three  hours  to  get  there,  and  so  I  galloped  on  in 
the  dusk,  trusting  to  my  Transvaal  experience  to 
help  me  find  the  way. 

Night  fell  very  rapidly,  and  in  the  darkness 
I  confused  one  hill  with  another,  and  thus  lost 
my  way.  When  I  reached  the  chain  of  hills  and 
found  no  camp  I  was  completely  at  a  loss.  As 
the  neighbourhood  of  Tangier  had  been  very 
unsafe  recently,  and  several  Europeans  had  been 
killed  when  only  a  few  miles  from  the  city,  I 
knew  it  was  a  very  risky  thing  to  ride  to  an 
Arabian  village,  especially  as  I  could  not  speak  a 
word  of  Arabic.    But  there  was  nothing  for  it  but 

38 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  FEZ  39 

to  gallop  for  the  huts  I  could  just  see  in  the  fall- 
ing twilight.  The  dogs  made  a  great  noise  at  my 
approach,  and  two  men  with  muskets  rushed  forth 
to  meet  me.  I  called  out  the  only  Arabic  word 
I  knew,  *'  Bashador  !"  (Ambassador),  whereupon 
they  lowered  their  muskets  and  came  to  me  with 
a  more  friendly  mien.  To  all  their  questions 
I  only  answered,  *'  Alemann  Bashador"  and  *'  Pig- 
sticking," showing  with  gestures  how  one  stuck 
a  pig  with  a  lance.  They  then  understood,  and 
took  the  bridle  of  my  horse.  I  said  "Alemann 
Bashador,"  because  the  German  Minister  was  then 
in  the  pig-sticking  camp,  and  I  thought  they 
would  take  me  there.  So  I  rode  with  these 
weird  protectors  through  the  darkness  under  the 
palms. 

It  was  not  very  reassuring  when  they  presently 
cocked  their  muskets,  but  it  appeared  it  was 
meant  for  the  common  enemy.  After  ten  minutes' 
ride,  lights  appeared  ;  it  was  the  camp.  I  gave 
them  a  duro  each  and  galloped  off.  My  English 
friend  and  his  guide  met  the  two  men,  who 
explained  what  had  happened  to  me.  They 
thought  they  had  been  guiding  the  German 
Minister,  and  were  full  of  praises  of  his  generosity. 
The  word  "Bashador"  had  been  most  useful,  as 


40     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

the  people  seemed  to  have  had  special  instructions 
to  protect  the  Ambassadors. 

We  did  not  leave  the  camp  till  midday,  and 
then  only  made  a  short  march,  for  our  chief, 
Mr.  Hawkins,  formerly  an  English  officer,  and 
now  owner  of  an  export  business  in  Tangier, 
could  not  make  the  arrangements  earlier.  So  we 
really  did  not  set  out  till  April  21. 

All  the  alarmist  tales  we  had  heard  in  Tangier 
proved  without  foundation. 

We  had  not  a  weapon  among  us.  Even  our 
dragoman — a  soldier,  and  I  think  of  the  rank  of 
a  colonel — was  unarmed.  What  use  would  arms 
be  ?  What  danger  a  caravan  runs  when  someone 
makes  unnecessary  or  untimely  use  of  a  gun ! 
I  was  very  insistent  that  our  expedition  should 
be  unarmed,  and  Fox-Pitt  was  quite  of  the  same 
view.  He  said  truly,  arms  were  a  provocation. 
Travellers  in  a  strange  land,  and  relying  on  the 
hospitality  of  the  people,  should  not  irritate  them 
by  appearing  armed.  It  is  at  least  a  want  of 
delicacy  to  threaten  with  weapons  people  in  their 
own  country. 

At  six  o'clock  we  reached  a  small  village  at  the 
foot  of  the  Red  Mountain.  We  could  still  see 
the  sea,  and  before  us  a  large  plain  covered  with 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  FEZ  41 

palms.  We  afterwards  learnt  that  this  Red 
Mountain  district  was  the  most  dangerous  terri- 
tory of  any  in  our  journey.  We  camped  outside 
the  village,  under  the  shadow  of  an  enormous 
hollow  sacred  cork  oak. 

Our  caravan  consisted  of  four  horses  and  sixteen 
pack  mules,  and  heavily  loaded  these  poor  creatures 
were.  We  had  a  huge  tent  for  a  dining  and 
reception  room,  which  we  called  the  "Jockey 
Club,"  and  each  of  us — my  own  servants  in- 
cluded— had  his  own  tent,  and  there  was  one 
large  one  for  the  kitchen.  Each  mule-driver  also 
had  his.  So  we  were  quite  a  travelling  village, 
which  took  us  two  hours  to  erect. 

The  friendliness  of  the  people  puzzled  us,  in 
view  of  the  alarming  tales  we  had  heard. 

They  came  and  seated  themselves  in  a  large 
half-circle  thirty  or  forty  steps  from  us,  and 
watched  all  proceedings  with  silent  interest.  The 
children  formed  another  group.  When  it  grew 
dark  an  armed  watch  sat  two  by  two  before  the 
tents. 

We  were  all  fast  asleep  when  a  continuous 
fusillade  awoke  me,  and  I  thought  there  must  be 
a  regular  battle  going  on.  We  were  told  the 
next  morning  that  this  firing  was  merely  to  make 


42     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

bandits  aware  that  the  villagers  were  on  the  watch. 
Shooting  is  a  great  excitement  for  the  Arab,  and 
he  uses  every  opportunity  to  fire  off  a  shot. 

In  the  light  of  a  magnificent  sunrise  we  broke 
up  the  camp  and  packed  our  belongings.  Our 
muleteers  were  wonders  for  work  and  quickness. 
When  the  whole  camp  had  disappeared  the  half- 
wild  dogs  came  and  picked  up  the  food  scraps 
that  remained.  My  dog  Schnauzi  repeatedly 
made  vain  rushes  at  them,  but  they  simply  showed 
their  teeth,  raised  their  bristles,  and  stood  their 
ground. 

At  last  the  caravan  moved  forward,  the  drivers 
uttering  the  most  comprehensive  curses  to  urge 
on  the  asses.  Their  exertions  to  keep  the 
wandering  animals  in  the  right  track  made  the 
men  travel  double  the  distance. 

The  way  to  Fez  is  very  characteristic  of  the 
country.  It  consists  of  deeply  worn,  tortuous 
paths,  sometimes  many  running  parallel,  some- 
times one  alone,  and  it  leads  over  the  Red 
Mountain.  The  footing  of  the  Moroccan  horses 
is  marvellous. 

We  camped  that  night  in  Ouled  Mousa.  As 
we  neared  the  village  we  met  a  woman,  who,  with 
a  gesture  of  her  hand,  made  a  sign  of  decapitation. 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  FEZ  43 

Our  dragoman  asked  what  she  meant,  and  learned 
that  three  holy  men  had  just  visited  the  place  and 
preached  the  doctrine  that  all  Europeans  should 
be  beheaded. 

However,  we  met  none  but  friendly  people  in 
Ouled  Mousa.  In  the  early  morning,  as  the 
children  sat  squeezed  together  in  a  half-circle 
around  us,  I  gave  a  peseta  to  a  very  pretty  little 
girl,  who  ran  straight  into  the  village  with  it. 
Whereupon  the  whole  village  came  up  and 
demanded  money.  Poor  Mr.  Hawkins  had  much 
ado  to  get  rid  of  them.  It  is  characteristic  of  the 
Moors  that  they  think  no  shame  of  begging. 
Even  the  rich  do  it. 

The  next  day  we  reached  Elcazar  el  Kebir.  It 
is  a  beautiful  little  place,  defended  merely  by  a 
deep  moat.  Twilight  was  falling  as  we  approached. 
The  minarets  showed  high  above  the  dwarfed 
houses,  and  on  every  minaret  sat  a  stork.  Above 
our  head  circled  a  flight  of  them.  They  looked 
like  angels  of  peace,  spirits  of  happiness  descend- 
ing from  heaven  in  the  cool  of  evening  on  the 
haunts  of  man.  Storks  are  to  be  seen  everywhere 
in  this  land  of  the  shepherd. 

"Elcazar"  means  "fortress,"  and  "El  Kebir" 
"  great."     It  was  built  here  by  Sultan  Yacoub  el 


44     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

Mansur  |to  defend  the  River  Loukhos,  which 
empties  itself  into  the  sea  at  Larache.  It  lies  in  a 
valley,  bordered  on  one  side  by  high  mountains. 
Most  picturesque  it  is,  and  its  beauty  is  enhanced 
by  the  great  number  of  palms  shading  the  holy 
places. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  estimate  the  number  of  the 
population.  The  English  Consul  put  it  at  about 
85OOO  or  10,000.  The  people  live  by  trading,  and 
the  unrest  in  the  land  has  been  bad  for  them. 
Raisuli  is  only  two  days'  journey  from  the  place. 
The  English  Consul  knew  him  well,  and  fancied 
the  Sultan  would  make  peace  with  him,  as  two 
emissaries  had  been  sent  to  him.  We  afterwards 
learned  that  they  had  been  taken  prisoners — one 
killed,  and  the  other  held  in  ransom.  Raisuli  put 
out  his  eyes  before  releasing  him.  This  happened 
the  day  we  camped  at  Elcazar.  Mr.  Carlton  has 
known  the  country  from  childhood,  and  is  much 
loved  and  respected  among  the  people.  He  is 
practically  ruler  of  Elcazar. 

The  people  are  very  well  intentioned,  though  so 
near  the  district  of  the  bandits.  We  took  advan- 
tage of  the  popularity  of  Mr.  Carlton  to  photo- 
graph some  women  washing.  They  did  not,  as 
usual,  run  away,  but  laughed  and  talked  with  us 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  FEZ  45 

in  a  very  friendly  way.  One  was  very  handsome 
— tattooed  on  the  chin,  as  is  the  custom.  When 
they  saw  my  dog  run  into  the  water  they  threw 
stones  for  him  to  fetch,  and  were  as  delighted  as 
children.  They  are  frequently  very  beautiful, 
these  Moorish  women,  finely  built,  slender,  and 
with  a  pose  only  found  in  ancient  Greek  statues. 
Involuntarily  one  thinks  of  the  statue  of  Demeter 
of  Carthage.  This,  discovered  only  six  years  ago, 
can  now  be  seen  in  Tunis,  and  is  particularly 
distinguished  by  its  graceful  bearing.  The  god- 
dess of  the  soil,  of  fruitfulness  and  growth, 
changed  herself  into  a  mortal  woman  and  took 
refuge  among  men  on  earth,  so  runs  the  legend. 
Therefore  she  is  represented  simply  as  an  ordinary 
woman,  but  with  a  divine  carriage.  All  Moorish 
women  have  this  divine  bearing.  These  slender 
women  going  to  the  well,  holding  with  graceful 
arms  the  water-pitchers  on  their  heads,  might 
have  stepped  from  the  pages  of  the  Bible.  Every- 
thing about  them  speaks  of  pre-Christian  times. 
The  very  water-jugs  are  identical  with  those  found 
in  the  ruins  of  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii.  The 
Four  Dancers  of  Herculaneum,  that  splendid  work 
of  art  in  the  Museum  at  Naples,  are  of  the  type 
seen  to-day  in  Moroccan  villages.     In  the  country 


46     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

districts  the  women  go  about  unveiled,  and  can  be 
seen  and  admired.  TJie  types  vary  a  good  deal. 
Round  Tangier  they  are  generally  fat,  with  round, 
fleshy  faces,  but  here  they  are  more  beautiful ; 
others  are  of  duskier  hue,  of  Berber  blood  and 
quite  another  type. 

Mr.  Carlton  regarded  the  disturbance  as  over, 
and  believed  there  would  be  no  further  trouble. 
He  insisted,  though,  that  circumstances,  not  the 
military,  should  have  credit  for  this.  The  military 
discipline  is  exceedingly  bad,  and  the  soldiers  in 
Elcazar  served  no  purpose  but  to  degrade  the 
morals  of  the  town,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the 
camp  was  under  the  command  of  an  uncle  of  the 
Sultan.  We  met  this  uncle  one  day,  a  handsome 
old  man,  with  snowy-white  beard  and  snowy  toga, 
mounted  on  a  pure  white  Arab  horse. 

We  left  Elcazar  the  next  morning,  convinced 
by  personal  observation  of  Mr.  Carlton's  conten- 
tion that  the  disposition  of  a  people  towards 
foreigners  depends  on  the  treatment  meted  out  to 
them  by  the  latter.  This  one  Englishman,  for 
example,  speaking  Arabic,  and  respecting  the 
habits  and  customs  of  the  people,  had  made  the 
district  of  Elcazar  well  disposed  towards  the 
Europeans.     Had  the  French   but  behaved  like 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  FEZ  47 

this,  they  would  not  have  needed  to  occupy 
Oujda,  nor  would  their  lives  have  been  anywhere 
endangered. 

Here  was  clear  evidence  that  he  who  does  not 
come  among  these  refined  Arabians  as  a  barbarian 
will  enjoy  their  respect  and  esteem. 

Near  by  the  town  we  crossed  the  Loukhos, 
where  it  ran  deep,  and  there  beheld  a  magnificent 
feast  of  colour.  It  was  washing  day  in  Elcazar, 
and  all  the  women  of  the  town,  dressed  in  their 
gayest  robes,  were  washing  clothes  in  the  river. 
They  formed  what  looked  like  a  huge  flower-bed 
of  poppies  and  cornflowers.  Fox-Pitt  rode  up 
quite  close,  and,  without  causing  any  commotion, 
photographed  them. 

We  made  our  way  to  Tarifa  through  a  fruitful 
plain ;  spans  of  oxen  were  driving  the  plough,  and 
there  were  everywhere  signs  of  the  industry  of  the 
white- robed  Arabs.  The  barley  was  in  ear,  and 
the  maize  beginning  to  spring  up.  These,  with 
broad  beans  and  summer  wheat,  complete  the  list 
of  field  produce.  Here  most  of  the  grain  is 
gathered  green. 

Herds  of  cows  and  flocks  of  sheep,  tended  by 
youthful  shepherds,  dotted  the  white  plain.  We 
passed  a  well  where  sat  a  group  of  women.     At 


48     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

first  they  were  frightened,  but  a  few  silver  coins 
quieted  their  fears,  and  they  drew  water  for  us 
from  the  well.  One  of  them,  tall  and  slender  as  a 
Moorish  tower,  had  presently  to  relax  her  severe 
expression  to  a  merry  laugh,  for  Schnauzi  melted 
her  reserve  by  drinking  the  water  drawn  for  us, 
and  drew  upon  him  first  their  reprimands  and  then 
their  caresses.  The  Moors  are  great  lovers  of 
animals. 

About  midday  we  reached  the  crest  of  a  hill, 
topped  by  a  huge  sacred  tree.  All  trees  to  be 
seen  are  holy,  for  those  that  are  not  so  blessed 
have  been  felled.  The  Arab  can  never  leave  a 
tree  standing  unless  it  has  been  pronounced 
sacred.  A  short  distance  before  us  a  large  tent 
village  presented  an  animated  scene.  We  heard 
music  and  singing,  and  saw  crowds  of  people 
dancing  and  carrying  flags.  Round  the  tents  sat 
women  cooking.  At  first  we  thought  it  was  a 
camp,  but  it  turned  out  to  be  only  a  fair.  In 
spite  of  a  warning  from  the  dragoman,  I  rode 
in  among  the  people.  They  were  mostly  women 
and  girls,  buying  and  selling.  The  dancers  with 
the  flags  were  Aissaui.  Although  the  crowd 
gave  me  rather  sinister  looks,  no  one  molested  me. 
Two  hours  later  we  met  the  first  caravan,  consist- 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  FEZ  49 

ing  of  two  Europeans,  armed  to  the  teeth,  with  an 
escort  carrying  cocked  muskets.  We  afterwards 
heard  they  were  two  Frenchmen :  M.  Gironcourt, 
who  had  been  nearly  beaten  to  death  in  Fez; 
and  M.  Jourdan,  a  commercial  traveller.  But 
of  what  use  would  all  their  weapons  have 
been  were  the  Arabs  not  so  peaceful  and  friendly 
a  people  ? 

Schnauzi  was  a  source  of  great  interest.  The 
people  had  seen  many  Europeans,  but  never  a  dog 
of  his  kind.  At  the  next  village  we  stopped  for  a 
drink  of  water.  The  people  were  very  friendly, 
and  asked  us  to  camp  there  on  the  return  journey. 
Two  young  wives  brought  us  some  sour  milk. 
One,  not  more  than  ten  years  of  age,  was  very 
elfish,  and  chatted  away  with  me,  but,  alas !  I  could 
not  understand  a  word.  One  of  the  men  had  four 
wives  grouped  round  him.  The  men  felt  my 
clothes,  and  asked  why  we  dressed  differently  from 
them.  The  faces  here  are  wonderfully  expressive, 
something  of  the  type  of  Christ's;  yet,  with  all  their 
beauty,  they  excel  us  in  fortitude  and  endurance. 
For  example,  our  muleteers  break  up  the  camp  in 
the  morning,  march  the  whole  day,  set  up  the 
camp  at  night,  and  even  then  do  not  go  at  once  to 
rest,  but  devote  themselves  to  some  amusement. 


so    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

They  tire  so  little  that  they  sing,  and  even  dance, 
while  on  the  march.  One  of  these  men  in  par- 
ticular seemed  indefatigable.  The  post  couriers, 
laden  with  sixteen  kilogrammes  (about  thirty-three 
pounds),  do  the  journey  from  Tangier  to  Fez  in 
three  days.  Express  couriers  have  been  known  to 
do  this  distance  of  187^  miles  in  thirty-six  hours, 
and  yet  they  are  a  marvellously  abstemious  people. 
They  have  a  great  weakness  for  sugar,  and  can 
empty  a  sugar  bowl  at  a  sitting. 

We  reached  Tarifa  that  evening,  and  the  next 
day  we  marched  to  the  River  Rdat,  on  whose 
banks  we  camped.  At  midday  on  the  26th  we 
crossed  the  River  Bougdour.  The  neighbouring 
Sebu  is  a  large  river,  with  a  rushing  torrent  of 
water.  Here  we  indulged  in  a  cooling  bath. 
In  the  evening  we  crossed  the  Sebu  at  Tekna. 
The  water  was  high,  and  our  crossing  was  at- 
tended with  many  difficulties.  The  men  waiting 
on  the  bank  for  us  undressed,  and  led  the  horses, 
struggling  shoulder-deep  in  the  water. 

Schnauzi,  carried  away  by  the  stream  to  a  steep 
part  of  the  bank  which  he  could  scarcely  climb, 
was  nearly  drowned. 

It  is  an  interesting  sight  to  watch  a  caravan 
of  camels  crossing  deep  water.     In  Tekna,  on  the 


•      •  •. 
»     *   * 


v^*^ 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  FEZ  51 

steep  banks  of  the  Sebu,  we  camped.  The  end- 
less plain  stretched  before  us,  with  gigantic  moun- 
tains in  the  distance.  Near  the  bank  of  the  river 
rose,  like  a  monument,  a  group  of  grey-brown 
rocks. 

It  rained  in  torrents  as  we  left  Tekna,  and  the 
poor  mules  had  a  bad  time  ;  however,  we  rode 
on,  accompanied  solely  by  the  mule  carrying  our 
breakfast.  About  midday  we  halted  and  had  a 
slight  lunch.  It  was  our  intention  to  wait  here 
till  our  caravan  overtook  us,  but  as  at  four 
o'clock  we  had  seen  nothing  of  them,  Mr. 
Hawkins  and  our  dragoman  rode  off  to  seek 
them.  It  turned  out  later  that  the  caravan  had 
taken  another  road  and  gone  to  Makes.  We 
started  sharply  in  pursuit,  and  rode  till  evening 
fell,  but  no  caravan  came  in  sight. 

As  we  rode  through  Ben  Amer  in  the  gathering 
darkness,  Schnauzi  started  to  chase  a  sacred  cat, 
which  rushed  into  a  small  coffee-house  near  by, 
Schnauzi  still  pursuing.  They  knocked  over 
everything  in  the  place,  and  rushed  madly  forth 
again.  This  episode  threw  the  people  into  a  great 
agitation,  so  we  tried  quickly  to  get  clear  of  the 
village  ;  but  Mr.  Hawkins  and  the  dragoman 
were  surrounded,  and  ominously  threatened  with 

4—2 


52     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

clenched  fists;  seeing  this,  we  turned  back.  Some 
few  shots  were  fired,  but  the  dragoman  succeeded 
at  length  in  quieting  the  people.  Kaid  Mouley 
Dris  came  and  forbade  us  to  ride  any  farther,  as 
the  district  was  very  dangerous. 

He  offered  us  accommodation  for  the  night  in 
an  off-house.  We  accepted  ;  the  little  place  was 
cleared  out,  fresh  mattresses  were  brought,  and 
we  lay  down  to  rest,  sentries  to  guard  us  having 
been  posted  everywhere.  The  Kaid  himself  over- 
whelmed us  with  polite  attentions. 

The  only  food  obtainable  was  milk.  We  were 
wet  through  and  hungry,  but  thousands  of  fleas 
set  to  work  on  us.  Music  and  singing  went  on 
close  by,  so  we  left  this  happy  hunting-ground, 
and  took  the  sentinels  with  us  to  the  neighbouring 
coffee-house,  where  Schnauzi  and  the  sacred  cat 
had  created  such  a  hubbub. 

At  first  the  proprietor  would  not  serve  us  with 
any  coffee,  but  as  he  was  Algerian  and  spoke 
French  I  could  explain  matters  to  him,  and  after 
a  while  we  were  most  friendly.  We  all  had 
coffee,  and  two  singers,  accompanied  by  a  mando- 
line, sang  us  wonderful  Arabian  songs.  The 
subject  of  Moorish  songs  is  always  either  religious, 
national,  or  amorous.     The  theme  of  the  folk- 


»-  •     il-  • 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  FEZ  53 

songs  is  nearly  always  the  loss  of  Andalusia.  The 
expulsion  from  Spain  is  still  an  open  wound  to 
the  Moors.  I  stayed  here  till  far  into  the  night, 
and  discussed  the  questions  of  the  day  with  the 
coffee-house  keeper.  Hatred  of  the  French  was 
the  chief  subject  of  the  conversation. 

The  next  day  we  started  away  in  torrents  of 
rain.  We  hoped  to  find  our  camp  in  Makes. 
We  had  been  able  to  give  our  men  no  idea  of 
our  detention,  because,  owing  to  the  prevailing 
insecurity  of  the  district,  no  one  would  carry  a 
message  from  the  village  in  the  night. 

On  our  long  ride  we  continually  met  parties  of 
Aissaui  returning  from  Mekines  —  dangerous- 
looking  men  with  sinister  faces,  forcing  us  to 
keep  our  eyes  on  Schnauzi  for  fear  they  should 
eat  him  up. 

Our  caravan  had  started  on  the  way  to  Fez 
as  we  reached  Mekines,  so  we  galloped  on  full 
tilt,  and  towards  midday,  after  a  five  hour's  ride, 
we  reached  the  great  plain  of  Sais.  But  not  until 
we  had  made  a  bend  round  the  chain  of  hills 
could  we  see  Fez  shining  in  the  distance.  Heavy 
clouds  almost  touching  the  ground  were  whirling 
in  that  direction,  lowering  grey  and  sombre  on  the 
blue   hills.     High  above  the  glittering  city,  with 


54     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

its  filagree  of  minarets,  rose  the  mountain  chain, 
the  Zala,  hidden  in  clouds.  As  we  rode  nearer 
and  nearer  Fez  became  less  dreamlike.  There  at 
last  before  us  was  the  city  we  had  so  longed  to 
see,  the  famous  capital  of  this  land  of  marvels. 
Surrounded  by  great  walls,  like  an  old  mountain 
fastness,  the  city  stretched  away  before  us.  It 
brought  Windsor  to  our  minds.  The  old  castel- 
lated walls  and  towers  are  quite  in  Elizabethan 
Gothic.  It  is  evident  England  adopted  the 
Moorish  style  of  architecture,  for  these  walls 
are  older  than  the  oldest  castles  or  fortresses  of 
England. 

Beautiful  as  the  sunshine,  lovely  as  the  sky  of 
Morocco,  is  Fez — the  cradle  of  the  spirit  that 
reigns  over  this  strong  country.  Within  the  old 
walls  an  ancient  age  dreams  peacefully  on.  The 
colours,  the  smiling  idylls  of  the  roof,  speak  of  an 
existence  which  was  the  same  thousands  of  years 
ago  as  it  is  to-day.  Nothing  has  changed,  nothing 
has  been  spoilt,  nothing  disturbed.  It  is  the 
fairest  symbol  and  monument  of  Oriental  culture, 
of  Oriental  art — a  sign  of  that  civilization  of  men 

o 

who,  nourished  by  the  sunlight,  live  without  care, 
joyous,  peaceful,  and  contented. 


CHAPTER   IV 

FEZ 

Thus,  on  April  28,  at  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, we  reached  the  gate  of  Fez,  which  opened 
to  us  upon  our  showing  the  letter  of  the  English 
Consul.  This  narrow  gate  in  the  high  fortified  walls 
led  on  to  the  Msalla,  an  open  place  surrounded 
by  high  walls,  lined  with  soldiers  holding  muskets. 

An  incomparable  poem  of  colour !  Among  the 
brilliant,  melting  colours  of  every  shade  of  the 
spectrum  walked  white -robed,  brown  -  skinned 
Moors. 

In  and  out,  tinkling  their  bells  and  shouting, 
went  the  blacks  with  their  goat-skin  bottles, 
selling  water. 

On  the  right  side  of  the  wall  is  a  gate  in 
Moorish  style,  wonderfully  inlaid  with  gold.  At 
the  other  end  a  gateway  through  a  tower  leads 
into  the  town.  The  streets  are  very  narrow, 
only  half  a  metre  wide,  and    pass    through   grey 

55 


S6     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

walls.  The  shopping  streets  are  wider,  with  a 
gully  down  the  middle,  while  vines  on  trellis- 
work  run  over  the  top  to  keep  off  the  hot  sun. 
At  this  time  the  clusters  of  grapes  hung  thick. 

The  people  looked  good-naturedly  after  us,  but 
we  seldom  saw  an  evil  glance,  nor  did  any  man 
spit  at  us. 

The  odours  of  the  town  were  in  striking  con- 
trast with  its  beauty.  The  shops  were  little  open 
booths,  such  as  we  had  already  seen  in  other 
Mohammedan  towns.  The  craftsmen  do  their 
work  in  similar  open  booths. 

We  went  through  endless  narrow  lanes  before 
we  reached  the  English  Consul.  Mr.  Hawkins 
went  in  with  his  letter  of  introduction,  while  we 
waited  outside.  While  I  was  sitting  on  the 
threshold  of  the  door  a  boy  rode  by  on  a  mule. 
The  Consul's  dragoman  said  he  was  a  son  of 
the  Sultan,  and  this  boy  of  eleven  or  twelve 
years  was  riding  through  the  town  quite  unac- 
companied. The  Enghsh  Consul  conversed  long 
with  Mr.  Hawkins,  and  we,  after  our  nine  hours' 
ride  in  pouring  rain  without  any  breakfast,  grew 
very  impatient.  At  last  Mr.  Hawkins  came  out 
and  invited  us  in.  The  Consul  received  us  in  an 
elegant  atrium,   and  took  us  to  his  study.     He 


FEZ  57 

was  a  teetotaller,  apparently,  for  he  offered  us 
weary  travellers  no  drop  of  refreshing  drink  ; 
he  merely  gave  us  a  dry  speech.  He  could  not 
express  enough  astonishment  that  we  had  been 
allowed  to  travel  to  Fez  in  a  time  of  such  dis- 
turbance, when  foreigners  were  leaving  the 
country  on  all  sides.  He  had  expressly  written 
to  Tangier  that  no  one  must  be  allowed  to  go  to 
Fez,  particularly  at  the  time  of  the  Feast  of 
Mouled,  when  fanaticism  was  at  its  height. 

He  demanded  that  we  should  keep  indoors 
as  much  as  possible  and  take  no  photographs 
(three  weeks  before  a  Frenchman  had  been 
nearly  beaten  to  death  for  taking  a  photograph), 
and,  above  all,  we  were  not  to  paint.  He  looked 
severely  at  Fox-Pitt,  and  added  that  if,  in  spite 
of  this,  he  painted,  he  would  have  to  take  steps 
to  prevent  it.  As  all  this  would  have  spoilt  our 
plans,  I  interrupted,  saying,  "  I  am  an  Austrian, 
and  this  does  not  affect  me."  "  Then,  please," 
he  said,  "  you  had  better  go  to  the  German 
Consul."  "  Oh  no  !"  I  replied  ;  "  I  am  my  own 
Consul "  ;  and  after  much  hand-shaking  we  left. 

The  Consul  kindly  sent  his  dragoman  to  guide 
us  to  the  French  resting-place. 

The    dragoman    led   us   in    and   out,    through 


58     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

horrible  devious  lanes,  where  European  horses 
would  break  their  legs.  The  mule  with  our  most 
necessary  baggage  stuck  in  one  of  these  lanes,  and 
could  go  neither  backwards  nor  forwards,  most 
effectually  barring  the  way.  So  we  had  to  dis- 
mount and  go  on  foot.  The  next  day  we  found 
that  the  road  to  the  English  Consulate  was  one  of 
the  best  and  most  direct.  Why  the  dragoman 
had  not  taken  us  there  I  do  not  know. 

The  resting-house  was  kept  by  an  excellent 
Frenchman  and  his  wife.  The  host,  M.  Gie,  had 
a  beautiful  Moorish  house  and  garden,  with  a 
little  summer-house.  We  found  the  garden  large 
enough  to  accommodate  the  tent.  While  we  were 
busy  Madame  Gie  cooked  us  a  delicious  meal, 
with  French  beer  and  Moorish  bread,  to  satisfy 
our  hunger  and  thirst.  There  was  even  Bordeaux 
wine.  We  had  tasted  nothing  for  twenty -four 
hours,  and  everything  had  the  fragrance  and 
flavour  of  the  feast  of  the  gods,  when  the  flowing 
nectar  filled  the  bowl. 

Our  Frenchman  was  no  Chauvinist,  but  an 
honest  tradesman,  then  suffering  greatly  from  the 
disturbed  state  of  the  country.  The  only  guest  was 
an  American  dentist,  attending  the  Sultan  and  his 
wives.     The  two  Frenchmen  we  had  met  on  the 


FEZ  59 

road  between  Elcazar  and  Tekna  had  stayed  here. 
M.  Jourdan,  the  commercial  traveller,  had  had  a 
bad  time.  They  said  he  grew  white  as  wax,  dined 
always  in  his  own  room,  armed,  and  never  left  it 
after  M.  Gironcourt's  disastrous  experience.  The 
latter  had  been  imprudent  enough  to  photograph 
a  holy  shrine,  and  incensed  the  Arabs,  who  regard 
photography  as  desecration  of  a  holy  place. 

The  Frenchman  Marchand  was  also  guilty  of 
the  most  heinous  sacrilege.  He  had  hoisted  the 
white  flag  of  the  Prophet  upon  his  house  for 
surveying  purposes. 

The  French  imagine  they  can  everywhere  mock 
at  religious  faith  as  they  do  in  their  own  country, 
and  that  they  will  be  considered  clever.  But  the 
Arabs  are  not  officials  of  the  Republic,  and  have  a 
right  to  demand  respect  in  their  own  country  for 
their  customs  and  faith. 

The  garden  was  a  veritable  fairyland.  Blossom- 
ing orange,  apple,  and  pear  trees,  fresh  from  the 
rain,  glittered  in  the  bright  sunshine.  The  re- 
freshing perfume  of  the  orange  blossoms  was 
wafted  from  tree  to  tree,  and  even  floated  under 
our  tent-covers.  We  formed  a  little  town  of 
white  canvas  within  this  high-walled  Moorish 
garden,  where  the  fountain  splashed  and  glittered 


6o     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

into  a  stone  basin.  Under  a  large  and  shady 
fig-tree  bloomed  dark  red  roses.  Night  descended 
softly,  hymns  of  the  third  day  of  the  Feast  of 
Mouled  filled  the  air,  and  in  the  so-called  city  of 
danger,  really  so  peaceful  and  friendly,  in  the 
home  of  Allah,  refreshed  and  strengthened,  we 
slept  the  sleep  of  the  just. 

Yes,  Fez  is  the  home  of  Allah  in  the  true  sense 
of  the  term.  The  curse  of  the  golden  calf  has 
never  penetrated  here. 

The  next  day  Mr.  Hawkins  invited  the 
American  dentist  and  the  Sultan's  interpreter  to 
breakfast.  The  dentist  said  he  had  attended  the 
Sultan  some  weeks,  and  could  say  quite  impartially 
that  the  Sultan  was  the  most  genial  man  he  had 
ever  met. 

After  breakfast  at  two  we  hurried  to  the 
Msalla,  where  the  Sultan  was  to  receive  the 
deputation  from  his  tribes  who  had  come  to 
bring  presents  and  do  him  homage.  The  Sultan 
only  shows  himself  to  the  people  four  times  a 
year. 

On  our  way  through  the  town  we  met  several 
Arabs  of  rank  on  white  horses.  The  appearance 
of  these  men  in  their  white  robes  and  purple 
bernouse  was  most  picturesque.     What  aristocratic 


FEZ  6 1 

pride !     What  dignity  of  bearing !     They  might 
have  been  petty  kings  out  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

The  Msalla  presented  an  animated  scene.  The 
whole  garrison  was  stationed  round  the  walls. 
First  the  German  Division  in  green  and  khaki 
uniforms,  and  behind  the  mass  of  blue,  green,  red, 
orange,  yellow,  and  black,  like  a  bed  of  a  thousand 
flowers,  and  behind  them  all  rose  the  stiff  grey 
walls,  witnesses  of  so  many  stirring  events. 

In  the  middle  of  the  Msalla  gathered  the  depu- 
tations, and  behind  the  soldiers  were  men  on 
horseback,  men  on  foot,  and  women.  We  had 
been  warned  not  to  go  to  this  celebration,  as  the 
disposition  of  the  people  was  irritable.  But  why 
had  we  come  to  Fez,  if  not  to  see  and  hear  all  we 
could  ? 

We  rode  up  to  the  soldiers,  and,  after  a  little 
difficulty,  an  officer  made  a  good  place  for  us. 
We  stood  there,  and  had  the  opportunity  of 
making  most  interesting  observations. 

Shaiks  and  sons  of  notables  came  riding  up 
from  every  direction  and  demanded  entrance. 
The  soldiers  refused  peremptorily,  but  everyone 
had  the  protection  of  this  or  that  division  which 
gained  him  admittance.  Then  great  disputes 
arose   among  the    soldiers.     One   would   pull   a 


62     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

mule  by  the  bridle,  and  another  would  beat  him 
back;  but  the  nobles  did  not  let  themselves  be 
deterred.  They  boldly  stormed  the  line  of 
soldiers,  and  gained  admittance  after  a  long 
struggle.  Even  the  fair-skinned,  handsome  boy, 
said  to  be  the  Sultan's  son,  was  turned  away,  and 
it  was  only  after  great  struggles  that  a  black 
soldier  of  the  palace  guard  drew  him  in. 

In  the  middle  of  the  palace  yard  bustled  a  man 
in  a  green  robe,  round  his  neck  a  thick  cloth, 
chains  of  cowrie  shells,  bells,  and  other  things. 
His  head  was  half  shaven,  and  the  remaining  hair 
stood  up  stiff  like  a  wall.  He  was  a  holy  man,  a 
descendant  of  Mohammed.  He  moved  from  man 
to  man,  letting  them  kiss  his  hands,  shoulders,  and 
the  cowrie  shells.  Even  the  soldiers  took  the 
chains  of  cowrie,  stroked  them  and  rubbed  them 
against  their  faces,  murmuring  pious  prayers. 
The  holy  man,  a  fat,  deformed  cripple,  with 
cunning  eyes  full  of  humour,  looked  more  like 
a  wag  than  a  saint.  He  pinched  the  people's 
cheeks  and  whispered  words  between  the  blessings 
which  made  the  people  shake  with  laughter. 

We  could  hear  the  brass  band  in  the  distance, 
the  soldiers  presented  arms,  and  the  officers  placed 
themselves   in    front.       The  commander    of  one 


FEZ  62 

regiment  was  a  very  droll  figure :  a  round,  tubby 
man,  dressed  in  dark  red,  with  wide  breeches,  and 
a  huge  sabre  in  a  wooden  scabbard.  He  gave 
commands  the  whole  time,  but  no  one  obeyed 
them;  so  he  sat  down  and  watched  the  soldiers. 
Behind  him  stood  four  officers,  clad  in  different 
colours,  presenting  arms.  When  the  music 
sounded  everything  stopped,  and  the  ear-deafening 
noise  suddenly  ceased. 

Our  constant  guide,  Hedj,  during  the  morning 
had  been  instructed  by  Mr.  Fox- Pitt  how  to  take 
a  photograph,  and  now,  somewhat  apart  from  us, 
he  sat  on  his  horse,  the  camera  in  the  saddle.  The 
Arabs  had  not  the  least  suspicion  of  his  intentions, 
and  did  not  seem  to  perceive  the  camera,  and  he 
photographed  the  whole  scene  just  as  the  Sultan 
entered  the  Msalla. 

Just  before  the  music  sounded  one  of  the 
orange-red  soldiers  had  a  sunstroke,  and  had  to  be 
carried  out  on  his  back. 

All  the  people  around  us,  and  particularly  the 
soldiers,  were  very  friendly,  and  there  was  not  a 
hint  of  ill-feeling.  The  tales  of  the  dangerous 
men  of  Fez  were  malicious  inventions.  The 
band  passed  under  the  gate  of  the  Msalla  at  four 
o'clock  exactly,  and  the  deafening  crash  of  sound 


64     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

re-echoed  back  from  the  walls,  and  the  ranks  grew 
silent.  Six  horses,  led  by  the  bridle,  followed  the 
band,  and  after  them  came  a  white  stream  of 
lance-bearers. 

Then,  under  a  great  purple  umbrella  sur- 
mounted by  a  golden  calyx,  appeared  the  Sultan, 
sitting  on  a  magnificent  white  charger.  Black 
slaves,  garbed  in  white,  waved  white  cloths  to 
keep  off  the  flies,  and  beside  him  stood  a  white- 
robed  sword-bearer,  while  the  Lord  Chamberlain, 
waving  his  stick,  led  the  procession.  Behind  the 
Sultan  came  white-robed  horsemen,  with  the  War 
Minister  at  their  head,  a  sea  of  white,  with  the 
red  sunshade,  like  a  peach-blossom,  in  the  middle. 

In  the  middle  of  the  Msalla  the  Sultan  halted 
before  the  deputations.  The  deputations  were 
called  by  the  Lord  High  Steward — for  instance, 
"  Men  of  Fez  1"  who  were  in  the  front  rank.  The 
Sultan  did  not  move,  but  sat  on  his  pawing 
charger,  proud  as  a  true  King  of  the  Orient.  The 
whole  power  and  majesty  of  an  Eastern  aristocrat 
spoke  in  his  bearing  as  he  sat,  brown-faced,  among 
clouds  of  white,  swaying  above  the  mass  like  a 
swan  on  the  waves.  He  did  not  utter  a  word, 
as  etiquette  commands  him  to  be  silent.  The 
Master  of  the  Ceremonies,   in  the  name  of  the 


FEZ  65 

Sultan,  expressed  good  wishes.  The  deputation 
cried,  "  God  preserve  your  Majesty  !"  and  Mouley 
Ab-dul-Aziz  drew  a  brown  hand  from  his  white 
cloud,  laid  it  on  his  breast,  and  inclined  his  head 
sHghtly.  The  deputation  bowed  their  heads  and 
moved  away  to  the  right. 

This  performance  was  repeated  with  each  depu- 
tation, till  all  had  paid  homage  to  his  Majesty. 
It  lasted  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Then  the  Sultan 
made  a  sharp  turn,  the  music  sounded,  and,  with 
the  same  impressive  dignity  with  which  it  had 
appeared,  the  procession  marched  away. 

Then  a  cannon  was  fired,  making  a  terrific 
dull  reverberation  between  the  high  walls  of  the 
Msalla,  a  cloud  of  smoke  veiled  the  sea  of  colour, 
and  scarcely  had  the  wind  dispersed  it  when 
another  shot  was  heard,  and  then  a  third,  and,  as 
the  Sultan  disappeared  through  the  gateway,  a 
fourth  and  last.  The  drums  began  to  rattle  and 
the  trumpets  blare,  and  the  whole  Mahalla  defiled 
in  the  Msalla  :  first  the  vermilion  red,  then  the 
orange-coloured,  the  blue,  and  so  on,  and  last  the 
green  khaki,  led  by  German  officers.  This  was 
the  only  disciplined  division.  The  officers  them- 
selves rode  at  the  head  in  white  helmets.  Then 
came    French   officers   with   impudent   faces,   the 

5 


66     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

gorgeous  Eastern  scene  spoilt  and  desecrated  by 
their  want  of  taste  and  imagination. 

The  whole  world  cannot  be  changed  into 
Republican  canaille;  the  Orient  is  the  Orient, 
and  will  remain  so,  and  Oriental  thought  does  not 
desire  to  set  the  guillotine  rule  of  officialdom  at 
the  throat  of  the  people,  who  already  govern 
themselves,  and  are  disciplined  by  the  belief  in 
Allah,  by  confidence  in  the  teaching  of  Mohammed, 
the  great  Prophet,  whom  we  should  honour  as  the 
interpreter  of  Christianity  to  the  Arabian  peoples. 

The  God  of  the  Arabs  is  no  subordinate  officer 
armed  to  the  teeth,  but  a  kind,  generous,  and 
holy  Ancient  of  Days,  regarding  all  His  faithful 
with  the  love  of  a  tender-hearted  father,  and 
accepting  gladly  the  pious  prayers  offered  up  to 
Him. 

Here  in  the  Msalla  was  the  magic  and  majesty 
of  religious  ceremonial.  Even  we  seemed  to  stand 
under  the  spell  of  the  suggestive  force  of  the 
solemn  occasion,  as  if  heavenly  powers  were  ruling 
human  action.  This  is  the  product  of  thousands 
and  thousands  of  years'  experience  in  the  manage- 
ment of  men.  The  Northern  peoples  have  never 
had  such  grandeur  of  ceremony.  Even  the  Greeks 
and  Romans,  till  the  time  of  Diocletian,  did  not 


FEZ  67 

develop  a  cult  of  ceremonial.  The  severe  and 
suggestive  power  of  ceremonial  was  introduced 
into  Spain  by  the  Moors,  and  developed  there  to 
its  grandest  and  loftiest  height  under  Philip  II. 
Architecture,  costumes,  and  customs  were  the 
direct  outcome  of  these  formulated  rules  for  the 
guidance  of  every  individual,  and  the  worship  of 
the  rulers.  The  spirit  which  actuated  the  throne 
spread  to  the  nobles  of  the  land,  and  from  them 
to  the  people ;  thus  in  Morocco  we  have  a 
country  where  the  Sultan  rules  over  numerous 
other  Sultans.  If  he  may  be  considered  a  god, 
the  others  are  demi-gods  in  their  power  and 
bearing.  In  disposition  and  attitude  of  mind  he 
is  also  a  god  ;  he  is  hard  and  cruel,  but  noble  and 
benevolent.  His  hand  betrays  his  descent,  and  his 
quiet,  stately  hauteur,  relieved  by  that  amiability 
which  is  the  aristocrat's  own,  denotes  his  proud 
ancestry. 

All  this  arises  from  their  religious  principle  ; 
no  one  respects  descent  more  than  does  the  Arab. 
The  descendant  of  Mohammed  is  sacred,  even  if 
he  be  a  bandit  like  Raisuli.  Blood  and  breeding 
are  everything  to  this  aristocratic  people.  So  they 
prostrate  themselves  in  the  dust  before  the  Sultan, 
believing  him  endowed  by  God  with  the  power  to 

5—2 


68     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

bless — the  Baraka.  By  certain  assumptions,  our 
clergy  have  the  Baraka.  Here  the  power  of  the 
priest  is  inherited.  Not  till  the  people  have  lost 
confidence  in  the  Baraka  will  the  Sultanate  collapse. 

They  do  not  believe  overmuch  in  the  orthodoxy 
of  the  Sultan  ;  though  few  pass  through  the  gate- 
way of  the  castle,  enough  rumours  escape  to  sorely 
wound  the  pious  Mohammedans.  Mohammed 
commands  that  every  man  shall  have  one  wife,  and 
none  more  than  four  wives — a  question  of  means 
— yet  the  Sultan  has  no  legitimate  wife,  neither 
is  he  very  zealous  in  the  exercise  of  religious 
duties.  Cruelty  and  misgovernment,  accompanied 
by  piety,  would  not  injure  him  in  the  eyes  of  his 
people  so  much  as  this  free  and  irreligious  be- 
haviour. The  feeling  of  the  country  people 
varies,  but  it  is  more  favourable  than  in  Fez.  I 
have  found  many  there  who  were  very  discon- 
tented with  the  government  of  the  Sultan.  To 
the  people  he  is  the  cat*s-paw  of  the  Maghzen  who 
exploit  the  country.  Whether  this  is  true  or  not, 
I  cannot  say  ;  one  thing  is  certain,  Morocco  is  ruled 
by  orthodox  belief :  prayers  and  festal  rites  fill  up 
all  the  time  not  occupied  in  work. 

We  will  now  return  to  the  Msalla.  When  the 
soldiery  had  filed  by — about  3,000  men — we  took 


FEZ  69 

a  ride  through  the  town.  The  panic  among 
Europeans  was  remarkable,  for  we  could  not  see 
a  single  white  man  during  these  celebrations. 
We  rode  to  the  German  post-office,  mounted  to 
the  roof,  and  saw  a  glorious  panorama  spread  out 
before  us.  Not  a  European  house  to  be  seen ! 
Rare  pleasure,  indeed,  to  see  the  product  of  an 
ancient  civilized  race  so  unspoilt  ! 

A  sea  of  grey  walls,  the  cradle  of  a  pre- 
Christian  age !  When  the  sun  shone  brightly, 
casting  a  golden  light  on  the  flat  roofs,  everything 
seemed  to  awake,  and  the  songs,  the  laughter  of 
the  pinnacles,  spoke  of  the  dreams  of  long-past  ages. 
The  old  classic  cities  —  Alexandria,  Damascus, 
perhaps  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum — may  have 
boasted  such  splendour. 

The  minarets  with  green  roofs  pointed  to  the 
skies,  not  proud  and  stern  like  St.  Stephen's 
Church  in  Vienna  or  Cologne  Cathedral,  but 
slender  and  unadorned.  A  ciborium,  surmounted 
by  a  point,  finished  their  roofs. 

Roman  Catholic  churches  often  have  on  the  roof 
under  the  spire  a  closed  calyx  ;  this  is  a  common 
characteristic  of  the  Catholic  and  Mohammedan 
churches :  so  are  the  flags,  which  look  very  much 
like  our  own. 


70     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

On  the  flat  roofs  could  be  seen  women  ;  they 
waved  their  hands  to  us,  and  I  naturally  waved 
back. 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,"  said  the  postmaster, 
''  come  down  !  In  Fez,  men  are  strictly  forbidden 
to  go  on  the  roofs.  Roofs  are  for  the  women, 
and  any  man,  Christian  or  Mussulman,  fares  badly 
if  he  is  caught  on  a  roof." 

So  we  bade  farewell  to  the  splendid  view  and 
descended. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  FRENCH  IN  MOROCCO 

When  I  reached  home  an  influential  Arab  was 
presented  to  me.  He  spoke  openly  and  frankly 
of  the  state  of  afl^airs  in  Morocco.  Two  pre- 
dominant ideas  occupied  the  minds  of  the  people, 
hatred  of  the  French  and  fear  of  the  Europeaniza- 
tion  of  the  country.  Algiers  has  revealed  to  the 
Moors  the  character  and  methods  of  the  French, 
and  it  is  a  significant  fact  that  there  are  in  Fez 
some  5,000  refugees  from  Algiers.  The  French 
have  here  reduced  a  flourishing  country  to  ruins. 
Compare  Algiers  and  Morocco.  In  the  latter  the 
natives  are  prosperous  and  happy  ;  in  the  former 
they  are  oppressed  by  the  twin  evils  of  slavery 
and  poverty.  Algiers  has  wonderful  quays,  great 
streets,  splendid  Government  offices  and  barracks, 
and  there  French  civilization  ceases.  The  French 
have  sent  48,000  soldiers  to  Algiers,  but  no 
traders    and    no    capital  ;    and    not    merely    this, 

71 


72     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

but  they  prevent  other  nations  from  trading 
through  their  regulation  that  none  but  French 
ships  may  carry  goods  to  the  French  ports,  and  by 
imposing  an  almost  prohibitive  tariff ;  that,  for 
instance,  on  woollen  goods  is  30  per  cent,  of  the 
value.  The  railways,  too,  are  bad  and  costly,  so 
that  transport  by  beasts  of  burden  is  cheaper. 
Prostitution,  on  the  other  hand,  flourishes  like  a 
green  bay- tree. 

The  Arabs  in  Algiers  are  an  oppressed  people, 
treated  by  the  French  like  dogs,  and  not  even 
given  a  vote.  How  evident  is  the  humbug  of 
that  motto  of  *'  Liberte,  l^galite,  Fraternite,"  for 
the  country  professing  this  high  ideal  is  the  land 
of  tyranny  and  cruelty  and  oppression  to  all  those 
who  are  averse  to  being  made  mere  bond-slaves  of 
France. 

The  Arabs  bring  their  pitiful  stories  and  the 
wounds  dealt  them  by  the  Republican  marauders 
in  Algiers  to  Morocco  ;  and  here  the  people  recog- 
nise the  martyrdom  of  the  Algerian  Arab,  and 
are  filled  with  apprehension  lest  they,  too,  should 
become  the  victims  of  that  fetish — liberty,  equality, 
and  fraternity. 

My  informant  was  a  handsome  black-bearded 
man,  with  a  Christ-like  head.     His  hands  were  as 


THE  FRENCH  IN  MOROCCO       73 

welJ  kept  as  those  of  a  French  femme  du  monde, 
and  his  movements  as  elegant  and  stately  as  those 
of  a  swan  moving  through  the  water.  But  when 
he  spoke  of  the  lot  of  Algerian  Arabs,  his  glance 
was  kindled  with  proud  and  indignant  grief.  His 
pain  touched  a  responsive  chord  in  my  own  heart, 
and  I  could  not  but  feel  that  we  were  concerned 
about  the  fate  of  a  great  and  highly  gifted  people. 
Imagine  our  own  feelings  if  some  tyrant  upstart 
were  to  treat  our  highest  aristocracy  as  wandering 
gipsies !  And  how  much  higher  in  the  scale  of 
real  civilization  stands  an  Arab  Shaik  than  a 
Republican  official  who  owes  his  position  merely 
to  the  favour  of  a  depute^  who  in  turn  is  the  slave 
of  Mammon !  What  a  contrast  between  a  proud, 
high-souled  Arab  and  the  Republican  protege  of 
a  bought  deputy  !  And  shall  the  native  aristocrat 
bow  down  and  serve  these  thieving  upstarts  ? 
The  least  right  feeling  stimulates  our  sympathy 
for  the  Arabs'  enforced  submission  to  the  yoke  of 
the  gold-seeking  barbarians. 

As  he  related  to  me  the  attempts  of  the 
Frenchmen  to  get  possession  of  the  Moorish  wives 
and  maidens,  the  flush  of  anger  overspread  the 
features  of  this  usually  unruffled  fatalist.  He 
said   the  Republican  officials  at   the   time  of  the 


74     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

census  forced  the  Arabs  to  lead  their  women 
before  them  unveiled.  This  is  a  great  offence 
against  the  customs,  manners,  and  religious 
principles  of  the  Mohammedans.  But  what  care 
the  barbarians  of  the  twentieth  century,  the 
executioners  of  prosperity  and  peace  ? 

Then  he  continued  :  "  The  French  are  not 
satisfied  with  putting  our  people  to  shame,  con- 
demning them  to  poverty  and  slavery  in  Tunis 
and  Algiers  alone,  but  desire  to  visit  the  same 
fate  on  Morocco,  on  the  last  refuge  of  our  race. 
Though  they  do  not  yet  hold  the  country,  they 
give  themselves  untold  liberties.  They  called  us 
barbarians  because  we  killed  Dr.  Marchand.  But 
what  had  he  done  ?  He  hoisted  the  white  flag 
of  the  Prophet  on  his  house,  and  long  before  that 
he  had  shamelessly  provoked  and  insulted  the 
most  peaceful  people  you  could  anywhere  find. 
Remember,  we  have  no  police,  no  watchmen,  and 
yet  no  inhabitant  takes  what  is  not  his,  nor  does 
what  he  should  not  do.  We  have  no  lights  in 
the  streets,  and  no  European  measures  of  safety, 
yet  no  acts  of  violence  are  committed.  We  are 
a  pious  people,  and  do  not  need  the  laws  you 
have.  Our  prisons  are  empty,  and  our  two  judges 
have  nothing  to  do.     Dr.   Marchand   knew  the 


THE  FRENCH  IN  MOROCCO        75 

country  and  its  customs.  Why  did  he  not  respect 
them?  Because  the  French  tread  us  under  their 
feet  in  Algiers,  we  need  not  suffer  it  here.  Did 
not  M.  Gironcourt  also  brutally  provoke  our 
peace-loving  people  ?  The  mosque  he  photo- 
graphed is  the  sacred  shrine  of  women.  No  one 
would  have  interfered  had  he  chosen  any  day 
but  Friday,  when  the  women  were  assembled 
there ;  neither  did  he  do  it  quietly,  but  very 
ostentatiously,  with  a  large  camera  on  a  stand. 
When  he  was  asked  to  desist  he  insulted  the 
people.  How  otherwise  shall  we  protect  our 
holy  places  against  these  barbarians?" 

The  man  spoke  truly;  the  French  are  the 
barbarians  of  the  twentieth  century.  Because  at 
home  they  have  sold  their  own  church  bells — 
which  have  called  people  to  prayer  for  centuries, 
have  sounded  the  alarm  in  case  of  fire  and  other 
dangers,  and  have  sweetly  announced  the  close 
and  break  of  day — they  think,  in  their  Republican 
shamelessness,  that  abroad  they  may  insult  what 
is  sacred  to  others. 

When,  therefore,  two  such  barbarians  as  Mar- 
chand  and  Gironcourt  fall  victims  to  their  own 
barbarism,  the  whole  of  Europe — that  is,  the 
puppets  of  international  money-lenders,  who  know 


76     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

no  God  but  Mammon — shrieks  aloud.  My  friend 
and  companion,  Fox-Pitt,  made  the  very  significant 
remark,  "  From  everything  I  have  heard  I  should 
not  be  surprised  to  be  some  day  murdered  by  the 
Arabs,  but  I  forgive  them  beforehand."  So  think 
and  so  speak  all  high-minded  men  and  true 
aristocrats — all,  in  short,  who  hate  the  golden 
fetters  that  are  enslaving  the  world — all  who  are  as 
near  the  Arabs  in  spirit  as  they  are  far  from  the 
financiers  and  usurers. 

Our  visitor  continued  to  explain  how  the 
French  exploit  the  country.  "They  buy  cattle 
from  the  people,  pay  for  them,  then  leave  them  in 
the  pasture.  When  they  are  fat,  and  represent 
three  times  the  value,  they  fetch  them  away.  In 
this  way  the  poor  are  robbed." 

He  also  related  how  a  delegation  of  Frenchmen 
had  waited  upon  the  Sultan,  long  before  the 
Algeciras  Conference,  to  force  the  French  pro- 
tectorate upon  him.  They  were  little  men  with 
big  heads  and  impudent  manners.  If  they  had 
been  gentlemen  of  courteous  behaviour,  who 
knows  whether  the  Sultan  might  not  have  given 
way,  for  he  was  in  a  tight  corner?  But  such 
men  as  these  frightened  him. 

It  is  the  misfortune  of  France  that  her  refined 


THE  FRENCH  IN  MOROCCO       77 

upper  ten  thousand  are  put  hors  de  combat  by  the 
masses,  and  that  now  it  is  the  demagogue,  the 
hungry  politician,  and  the  time-server  who  control 
the  destiny  of  this  once  great  and  noble  people. 

We  then  spoke  of  Germany.  He  was  full  of 
its  praises,  and  said  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  was 
regarded  as  the  guardian  angel  of  Morocco. 
"A  German  is  safe  anywhere  in  Morocco,  for 
our  people  remember  that  the  Kaiser  saved  them 
from  the  yoke  of  the  French."  I  asked  him 
what  he  thought  of  Austria.  He  had  never  heard 
of  its  existence.  To  see  how  far  his  geographical 
knowledge  went,  I  asked  some  questions  about 
Servia  and  Bulgaria,  and  found  he  knew  these 
countries  very  well. 

Turning  to  England,  he  said  English  politicians 
were  not  trusted  among  them.  But  they  were 
friendly  to  Englishmen,  and  would  never  forget 
what  Sir  Arthur  Nicholson  had  done  for  their 
country.  The  Sultan's  English  friends  were 
regarded  with  great  suspicion,  but  on  the  whole 
the  Arabs  like  the  English  because  they  are 
honest  traders. 

What  did  he  think  of  the  English  protectorate 
of  Egypt  ?  He  replied :  "If  there  must  be  a  pro- 
tectorate, give  us  anyone  rather  than  the  French. 


78     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

The  English  govern  millions  of  Mohamme- 
dans, treat  them  well,  and  do  not  wound  their 
religious  feelings.  Of  course,  the  Mohammedans, 
even  there,  are  not  thoroughly  contented,  not 
because  they  are  oppressed,  but  because  they  could 
never  love  the  followers  of  another  religion,  were 
they  angels  from  heaven." 

My  visitor  was  right.  The  only  people  that 
know  how  to  treat  coloured  races  are  the  English. 
For  them  coloured  races  begin  on  the  Continent, 
and  rightly.  Whoever  knows  England  knows 
that  the  Continental  nations  are  barbarians  in 
comparison.  This  development  of  refinement 
England  owes  to  her  religious  belief.  The 
Anglican  Church  has  preserved  the  true  spirit  of 
Christianity.  The  fundamental  axiom  of  Christ, 
"  All  men  are  equal  before  God,"  is  carried  out 
politically.  Its  colonial  government,  unlike  that 
of  the  French,  has  one  law  for  all,  white  men  and 
coloured  alike. 

In  this  actual  recognition  of  equality  as  a 
principle  lies  the  secret  of  the  ease  with  which 
England  colonizes.  England  keeps  an  Argus  eye 
on  the  law,  as,  for  Britons,  there  is  but  one  God, 
and  that  is  Justice.  It  is  this  God  that  has  made 
the  United  Kingdom  what  it  is,  the  Poseidon  of  the 


THE  FRENCH  IN  MOROCCO         79 

world,  ruler  of  sea  and  land !  The  French  have 
no  sense  of  justice.  While  the  Englishman  is  just 
and  courageous,  the  French  representative  of  the 
Radical-Socialist  Republic  is  cowardly  and  cruel. 

In  France  nothing  is  protected  save  the  money- 
lender's gold.  Even  England,  the  land  of  aristo- 
cratic shopkeepers,  inclines  to  the  worship  of  the 
golden  calf;  but  the  general  observance  of  justice 
constitutes  a  barrier  against  mere  worship  of 
Mammon.  An  English  judge  would  be  likely  to 
deal  severely  rather  than  leniently  with  the  rich 
man. 

Thus  throughout  her  Empire  (as  large  as  Africa) 
England  has  a  huge  army  of  officials  who  worthily 
uphold  her  ideal  of  justice.  Is  it  wonderful,  then, 
that  prosperity  and  peace  follow  in  the  path  of 
these  pioneers,  who  owe  their  position,  not  to 
corrupt  suffrages,  but  to  their  knowledge  and 
capacity  ? 

The  requisite  qualities  for  successful  coloniza- 
tion are  a  zeal  for  justice  and  a  sincere  regard  for 
humanity.  The  Germans  are  making  great  progress 
along  these  lines,  but  their  national  sense  of  justice 
is  as  yet  imperfectly  developed.  It  is  unfortunate 
that  on  the  Continent  of  Europe  rulers  and 
officials  have  been  so  long  accustomed  to  act  in 


8o     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

an  arbitrary  and  domineering  spirit  that  this  sense 
of  justice  has  been  seriously  impaired.  Germany 
has  not  yet  wholly  shaken  herself  free  of  the 
feudal  instinct,  but  the  more  the  task  of  coloniza- 
tion is  laid  upon  her  the  sooner  will  this  instinct 
disappear. 

I  asked  the  Arab's  opinion  of  the  state  of 
internal  affairs.  He  said  Morocco  was  in  a  fairly 
safe  condition  at  present  ;  but  one  could  never 
tell  what  might  happen.  Everything  was  in  the 
hand  of  Allah — the  Sultan  had  not  power  enough 
properly  to  govern  the  country. 

The  most  dangerous  and  difficult  district  lay 
between  Elcazar  and  Tangier.  On  the  whole 
the  tribes  were  loyal  to  the  Sultan,  but  only  after 
their  own  manner.  They  had  been  allowed  perfect 
freedom  to  govern  themselves. 

The  Sultan  himself  had  deserted  the  customs 
of  his  forefathers.  They  had  always  travelled 
from  place  to  place — were,  in  fact,  nomad  kings — 
and  kept  in  constant  contact  with  the  tribes, 
whilst  he  rarely  goes  abroad  among  his  people. 
The  Maghzen  is  disliked,  and  reproached  with 
exploiting  the  people  to  enrich  itself.  It  does 
nothing  to  forward  the  well-being  of  the  country, 
and  discontent  is  rife. 


THE  FRENCH  IN  MOROCCO         8i 

My  informant  did  not  believe  that  this  dis- 
content would  come  to  more  than  talk.  The 
Fazi  (man  of  Fez)  is,  like  the  Viennese,  always 
grumbling  at  everything,  but  still  enduring  every- 
thing. The  Sultan  will  never  establish  a  stable 
government,  and  thus  no  progress  can  ever  be 
made.  Whenever  trees  were  planted,  for  example, 
they  would  be  certain  to  be  pulled  up.  It  had 
been  done  even  in  the  Sultan's  garden.  Here,  in 
Morocco,  nothing  but  the  status  quo  ante  can 
be  maintained.  And  why,  I  ask  myself,  should 
it  not  be  so  ?  Riches  do  not  mean  happiness. 
The  Arab  is  much  happier  with  his  paraffin  candle 
than  the  Lombard  Street  stockjobber  in  his 
electrically  lit  palace.  These  people  live  in  a  pious 
dream.  Why  arouse  them  ?  Why  drive  them 
into  the  European's  fierce  struggle  for  existence  ? 
Why  teach  them  to  live  a  life  of  care,  toil,  and 
anxiety  in  order  to  satisfy  ever-increasing  and 
superfluous  needs  and  desires  ^  The  land  of  the 
Arab  supports  him  without  labour.  Why  give 
him  ideas  that  will  make  him,  not  a  happier  man, 
but  a  mere  wage- slave?  Absence  of  desire  is 
happiness.  To  teach  a  people  to  "  desire  nothing  " 
is  to  give  them  the  secret  of  happiness. 

But  that  goes  against  the  grain  of  the  inter- 

6 


82     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

national  money  -  lenders.  If  people's  wants 
diminish,  consumption  will  be  reduced,  and  what 
would  the  millionaires  then  do  with  their  factories 
where  they  exploit  the  people  ?  To  make  the 
usurer  rich  the  world  must  be  made  unhappy. 
The  happiness  of  Diogenes,  attained  through  self- 
denial,  is  the  happiness  we  gain  from  religion. 
Christians,  Buddhists,  and  Mohammedans  all  have 
the  principle  of  self-renunciation  as  the  basis  of 
their  religious  faith. 

The  so-called  Liberals,  Progressives,  and  Social 
Democrats  preach  the  extension  of  desires,  and  see 
therein  nothing  but  progressive  prosperity.  It  is 
prosperity,  but  a  prosperity  for  capitalists,  not  for 
the  people.  Satisfied  desires  beget  new  ones.  The 
spread  of  this  view  of  life  is  unchecked,  and 
will  lead  to  disaster.  Everything  points  to  this 
result. 

A  doctrine  of  self-renunciation,  believed  in  for  so 
many  thousands  of  years  by  700  million  Buddhists, 
400  million  Christians,  and  300  million  Moham- 
medans, deserves  some  courageous  defenders. 
This  doctrine  of  self-renunciation  has  successfully 
persisted,  for  under  its  protection  our  own  civiliza- 
tion has  developed.  The  teaching  of  the  exten- 
sion of  wants  is  new,  and  the  fewer  checks  natural 


THE  FRENCH  IN  MOROCCO         83 

religion  puts  to  the  stream  of  this  stockjobbing 
age,  the  sooner  shall  we  reap  the  fruits  of  our 
folly.  In  the  Buddhistic,  Christian,  and  Moham- 
medan teaching  of  voluntary  abnegation  lies  the 
secret  of  self-control  which  alone  can  hold  a 
nation  together.  This  teaching  implies  a  strong 
diversion  of  animal  egoism,  and  this  diversion  the 
founders  of  religion  have  found  in  the  service  of 
God.  Thus  we  see  that  the  more  a  people  are 
trained  in  self-abnegation,  the  more  are  developed 
the  virtues  of  prayer  and  religious  services. 

Hand  in  hand  with  this  goes  charity.  A  man 
who  denies  himself  will  easily  give  to  others. 
And  is  not  this  power  of  giving  the  most  precious 
attribute  of  man  ?  No  one  is  so  benevolent  as 
the  Mohammedan.  And  when  many  give,  can 
there  be  many  unhappy  people?  And  is  not  the 
end  of  our  existence  to  secure  happiness  ?  Even 
the  priest  of  Mammon  does  not  seek  gold  for 
itself,  but  for  the  happiness  it  can  give. 

But  the  priests  of  Mammon  have  yet  to  prove 
to  us  that  gold  does  bring  happiness.  The 
Social  Democrats  write  on  their  banners,  *'  Down 
with  the  capitalist,"  and  yet  they  themselves  are 
the  most  faithful  followers  of  Mammon  ;  which 
proves  that  the  fight  against  capitalism  cannot  be 

6—2 


84    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

waged  by  force,  but  needs  the  inspiration  of  a 
high  and  true  ideal.  This  ideal,  whatever  form 
it  may  take,  must  be  the  doctrine  of  voluntary 
simplification  of  life.  A  man  with  no  desires 
needs  no  money.  A  begging  friar  has  fought 
victoriously  against  capitalism.  If  the  Arab  re- 
fuses our  money,  and  lives  happily  and  peacefully  in 
his  wantlessnessj  he  also  has  conquered  in  the  fight 
against  the  gold  fiend.  While  the  international 
usurers  revel,  and  suffer  from  their  life  of  pleasure, 
the  pious  and  abstemious  Arab,  happy  and  healthy, 
bends  his  knee,  kisses  the  soil,  and  praises  Allah 
for  the  little  that  he  has  ;  yes,  he  caresses  the 
earth  which  nourishes  him,  and  salutes  the  sun 
whose  beams  maintain  his  life.  He  regards  the 
future  with  fullest  confidence  in  Allah. 

Who  can  claim  a  right  to  poison  the  waters  of 
life  for  these  peaceful  and  blessed  people  ? 

If  we  recognise  rights  at  all,  why  do  we  not 
include  the  right  of  a  people  to  their  own  country  ? 
Does  not  the  country  belong  to  them?  How 
dare  we  foreigners  come  to  them  and  say.  You 
must  do  this  and  you  must  do  that  ?  Yet  every- 
where we  prate  of  justice  and  of  rights.  This 
is  our  modern  hypocrisy.  Practically  we  have 
long  since  ceased  to  respect  rights.     The  world's 


THE  FRENCH  IN  MOROCCO         85 

expanding  commerce  demands  new  dumping- 
grounds  ;  voracious  millionaires  demand  their 
prey,  and  rights  are  forgotten. 

A  man  who  is  ignorant  of  money-making  is 
considered  a  barbarian,  a  savage  ;  so,  because  these 
aristocratic  Arabs  do  not  make  money-seeking  the 
chief  aim  of  life,  they  are  savages  in  the  eyes  of 
the  stockjobber. 

No  one  takes  the  trouble  to  study  these  people, 
but  if  we  did  it  would  soon  be  evident  it  is  we 
who  are  uncivilized.  I  ask.  Who  are  the  true 
barbarians?  They  whose  State  is  controlled  by 
no  police  and  no  detectives,  or  we  with  a  policeman 
at  every  street-corner  to  see  that  citizens  should 
not  be  robbed  and  murdered  in  the  open  street.? 
I  ask.  Who  are  the  barbarians  ^  Those  who  leave 
their  wares  exposed  in  open  booths  and  yet  lose 
nothing,  or  those  who  bar  their  shops  with  iron 
railings,  fit  them  with  electric  alarm-bells,  and 
engage  watchmen  to  guard  them  night  and  day? 
Who  are  the  barbarians?  Those  in  London, 
Paris,  New  York,  who  let  their  beggars  die  in  the 
streets,  or  those  that  personally  feed  and  relieve 
them  ? 

And  again.  Who  are  the  barbarians  ?  Those 
consistently  true  to  their  faith  (you  can  count  on 


86     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

the  fingers  of  your  hand  the  Mohammedans  who 
have  been  converted  to  another  belief),  or  those 
who  for  fashion's  sake,  or,  as  .in  Austria,  for  Court 
favour,  abjure  their  religion  ?  Who  are  the  bar- 
barians? Those  that  have  to  be  forced,  under 
fear  of  penalty,  to  send  their  children  to  school,  or 
those  who,  at  their  own  expense,  maintain  a  school 
in  every  village  ? 

The  European  stockjobbers  may  say  what  they 
please,  but  let  one  of  the  best  of  them  try  for  a 
single  day  to  be  so  refined  and  kindly  as  these 
Arabs  habitually  show  themselves. 

I  am  speaking  against  no  nation,  for  this  ques- 
tion has  nothing  to  do  with  nationality  ;  I  am 
only  indicting  that  large  and  vigorous  company, 
composed  of  all  nationalities  and  faiths,  that  has 
the  golden  key  to  open  the  money  -  boxes  of 
toilers  among  mankind,  whom  they  rob  by  all 
manner  of  tricks. 

And  these  are  the  men  bowed  down  to  by 
kings  and  obeyed  by  ministers  ;  the  men  who 
run  newspapers,  rule  the  price  of  the  necessaries  of 
life,  make  war  or  peace,  condemn  or  convict  men, 
buy  everywhere  the  popular  vote,  and  everywhere 
instigate  or  prevent  the  revolution  of  empires. 
They  are  the  real  rulers  of  mankind  from  San 


THE  FRENCH  IN  MOROCCO         87 

Francisco  to  Rome.  But  there,  before  the  gates 
of  St.  Peter,  they  are  powerless.  Christianity, 
however,  is  not  the  sole  religious  bulwark  against 
the  on-coming  tide  of  capitalism.  Buddhism  and 
Mohammedanism  are  also  powerful  obstacles. 
The  day  will  come  when  those  of  every  faith 
will  form  a  great  alliance  against  the  common 
enemy.  It  will  be  the  league  of  national  con- 
servatives, united  by  common  interests. 

Between  Roman  Catholicism  and  Moham- 
medanism there  is  little  essential  difference, 
though  it  is  true  that  Mohammed  teaches,  as  do 
the  Anglicans,  that  Christ  was  not  God,  but  a 
Prophet,*  and  do  not  make  him  so  prominent 
a  figure  in  the  faith  as  we  do.  Mohammed  took 
the  teachings  of  Christ  almost  in  their  entirety 
and  Orientalized  them.  The  Mohammedans 
celebrate  the  same^  festivals  as  we  —  L'Aid  el 
Kebir,  Christmas  ;  Mouled,  Easter  ;  and  so  on. 
At  Easter  lambs  are  sacrificed,  and  presents  are 
exchanged.  The  Mohammedans  pray  with 
rosaries,  and  their  hymns  are  scarcely  to  be  dis- 
tinguished   from   those   of  the    Roman    Catholic 

*  The  author  wishes  to  emphasize  the  greater  prominence 
of  Christ  in  the  worship  of  the  Roman  Catholic  religion,  but 
has  evidently  forgotten  the  Anglican  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. 


88     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

Church.  The  Mohammedan  makes  pilgrimages, 
first  in  the  direction  of  Jerusalem,  then  to  Mecca, 
and  if  he  wishes,  though  it  is  not  compulsory,  he 
makes  a  pilgrimage  to  Medina,  the  burial-place  of 
the  Prophet. 

The  connection  between  Christianity  and 
Mohammedanism  is  clearly  evident.  Almost  all 
Roman  Catholic  hymns  of  ancient  origin  have 
come  from  the  Arabic.  Only  the  Ambrose  music 
is  Grasco-Roman.  St.  Ambrose,  who  was  only 
a  poor  herdsman  before  he  was  made  Bishop  of 
Lombardy  in  the  year  a.d.  320,  was  an  ardent 
advocate  of  ritual  and  the  development  of  the 
Liturgy.  The  Greeks  and  Romans  had  no 
written  music,  and,  consequently,  their  achieve- 
ments in  this  art  have  been  lost.  We  know, 
however,  from  the  classics,  that  they  composed 
fine  music.  We  may,  then,  assume  that  this  music 
has  been  to  some  extent  preserved  to  us  in  the 
Churches,  as  in  the  case  of  the  hymns  of  the  holy 
Ambrose,  which  are  still  used  in  the  Churches, 
as  the  'Te  Deum,  for  example.  But  many  of  the 
hymns  can  be  traced  to  the  Arabic,  and  this 
points  distinctly  to  the  common  source  of  the 
sister  religions. 

Even   though  the    Mohammedans  are  zealous 


THE  FRENCH  IN  MOROCCO         89 

abhorrers  of  pictures  and  statuary,  they  are  not 
opposed  to  saints  themselves.  No  one  worships 
so  many  saints  as  the  Mussulman  ;  he  even 
worships  their  graves.  He  keeps  the  Sabbath 
as  we  do,  only  on  Friday  ;  and  his  prayers  differ 
but  slightly  from  ours.  It  is  only  when  we  come 
to  the  conception  of  the  position  of  women  that 
we  find  the  great  difference. 

In  the  first  three  centuries  a.d.  the  greatest 
confusion  and  anarchy  on  this  point  generally 
prevailed.  In  375,  at  the  great  French  National 
Council,  it  was  still  possible  to  raise  the  question 
whether  a  woman  possessed  a  soul.  The  Catholic 
Church  then  accorded  women  equality  with  man 
in  this  respect,  and  thus  contributed  to  the  exist- 
ing and  more  refined  civilization.  The  indis- 
solubility of  marriage  seems  to  me  the  highest 
stage  as  yet  reached  in  the  development  of  human 
society.  The  family  is  the  most  stable  founda- 
tion of  society,  and  the  indissolubility  of  marriage 
ensures  its  permanence. 

Mohammed  was  not  able  to  rise  to  this  con- 
ception of  the  equality  of  women,  and  his  religion 
has  suffered  in  consequence.  Yet  there  is  some- 
thing to  be  said  in  favour  of  the  Mohammedan 
treatment  of  women.     The  apple  of  discord  of 


90     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

Northern  lands  is  here  treasured  behind  thick  veils 
and  high  walls,  and  the  peace  of  society  ensured. 
Besides,  we  must  remember  that  in  the  Orient 
conditions  are  very  different  from  ours.  The  sun 
exercises  a  greater  influence  on  the  imagination, 
and  manners  and  customs  are  such  that  the  woman 
cannot  protect  herself  from  molestation  as  easily 
as  with  us,  and  does  not  develop  the  same  power  of 
self-defence.  The  best  proof  of  this  is  that  all  the 
Mohammedan  women  whom  Cardinal  Lavigerie 
brought  when  children  into  the  lap  of  the  Roman 
Church  went  astray.  If  a  social  custom  laid  down 
by  their  religion  has.  persisted  among  the  300  million 
Mussulmans  for  so  long,  we  should  be  cautious 
how  we  visit  it  with  our  condemnation.  One  thing 
is  certain — in  the  whole  Mohammedan  world  there 
is  no  free-thinker,  which  means,  no  one  who 
attacks  established  institutions. 

I  come  back  once  more  to  the  great  problem  of 
happiness,  which  consists  in  the  absence  of  desire 
for  change.  Here  in  Morocco  we  have  a  society 
as  it  was  in  pre-Christian  times,  while  Europe 
is  filled  with  destructive  controversies  and  dis- 
astrous changes.  Here  the  Arabs  have  an  in- 
vulnerable bulwark  against  the  onslaughts  of 
innovation. 


THE  FRENCH  IN  MOROCCO         91 

All  this  Is  ultra-conservative.  Yet  I  believe 
there  never  was  a  happier  people  than  these. 
With  us  man  and  wife  work  all  day  long  for  the 
mere  necessaries  of  life.  The  Arab  sings  and 
dances  and  passes  his  time  carelessly,  yet  has 
wherewithal  to  live.  Dates  suffice  him  for  sub- 
sistence. Near  by,  a  Government  official  has  built 
a  palace.  The  Arab  workman  sings  the  whole  day, 
works  very  little,  and  yet  the  palace  is  erected.  It 
is  an  error  to  imagine  that  our  strenuous  labour  is 
a  blessing  to  us.  It  is  true  a  man  earns  more, 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  indirect  taxation,  in  the 
form  of  dearer  commodities,  speedily  reduces  his 
advantage. 

I  concede,  of  course,  that  European  countries 
could  not  follow  out  my  theories,  because  it  would 
spell  general  disaster.  We  Europeans  can  only 
improve  our  condition  by  opposing  an  international 
conservatism  to  the  international  exploitation.  But 
here  in  Morocco  and  in  similar  countries  it  is  our 
duty  to  leave  the  people  in  that  happy  and 
contented  state  which  they  have  preserved  for 
centuries. 

Following  these  reflections,  based  on  my  axiom 
of  the  solidarity  of  national  conservatism,  I  thought 
I  acted   rightly   in   saying  to   my  visitor,    "The 


92     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

Mohammedans  should  make  every  possible  effort 
to  prevent  the  Europeanization  of  their  country, 
whether  by  occupation  or  '  peaceful  penetration.'  " 

"  Yes/'  said  he,  "  many  Arabs  have  already  sold 
their  goods  and  property  and  returned  to  Arabia." 

This  is  all  we  have  achieved  with  our  vaunted 
civilization.  We  have  succeeded  in  driving  a 
homely,  well-behaved  people  from  their  native 
land,  because  they  can  no  longer  exist  there. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ 

The  next  day  we  took  a  walk  round  the  environs 
of  the  city  to  the  waterfall  of  Mouley  Edris,  which 
rushes  over  the  stones  a  hundred  paces  from  our 
garden.  This  water  is  conducted  through  many 
stone  runnels  to  supply  the  city  and  the  gardens. 

In  the  year  788,  after  an  unsuccessful  rebellion, 
the  descendants  of  Edris  were  obliged  to  leave 
Mecca.  They,  the  Edrissites,  went  to  Morocco. 
At  first  they  lived  in  the  town  of  Quahty.  When 
they  outgrew  the  town,  the  second  Edris  looked 
for  a  site  on  which  to  build  a  city  which  should  be 
the  capital  of  Morocco,  and  it  was  these  springs 
which  decided  him  to  settle  here.  So  for  over  a 
thousand  years  Fez  has  stood  in  this  place  as  the 
capital  of  the  kingdom  of  the  direct  descendants 
of  Mohammed. 

We  walked  round  the  whole  city.  It  was  a 
Saint's  Day,  and  everywhere  the  Arabs  were  piously 
offering  up  their  prayers. 

93 


94     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

We  passed  two  very  wonderful  old  bridges. 
Bridges  in  Morocco  are  very  rare.  These  were 
a  part  of  the  fortified  walls,  and  served  more  for 
purposes  of  protection  than  as  a  means  of  commu- 
nication. On  the  right  hand  rose  a  Mount  of 
Olives  like  that  at  Jerusalem,  while  little  koubbas 
lay,  dazzling  white,  between  the  olive-trees. 

We  walked  along  the  grand  old  walls  and 
through  the  gate  of  Marakez  into  the  city.  We 
were  then  in  the  manufacturing  quarter.  Pottery 
is  baked  in  small  circular  kilns  of  clay,  made  in 
the  form  of  a  cupola.  The  clay  tiles,  bricks,  jugs, 
or  dishes  are  baked  by  means  of  wood  fuel.  There 
is  also  an  old  oil  factory  where  the  olives  are 
pressed. 

My  friend  Fox-Pitt  painted  every  day  without 
being  molested  or  suffering  any  annoyance. 

My  attempt  to  see  something  of  the  life  of 
the  women  failed  signally.  I  succeeded  only  in 
arranging  a  little  the  dans  ant  in  our  garden. 
Gold  and  good  words  persuaded  an  Arab  to  bring 
his  daughters  to  see  us.  One  was  called  Jemina 
and  the  other  Zahra.  Beauty  among  the  orange 
blossoms  !  They  arrived  enveloped  in  the  usual 
wrappings,  and  only  after  some  resistance  unveiled 
themselves.     Jemina,  who  was  fifteen  years  old, 


•       •     •• 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  95 

was  the  smaller  and  prettier.  She  was  tattooed 
between  the  eyebrows,  and  had  great  dark,  mis- 
chievous eyes.  The  two  sat  quite  boldly  on  the 
chairs  we  provided,  and  laughed  saucily  across  to 
one  another.  They  sang  the  most  melting  Arabian 
songs,  and  also  danced  to  us.  They  ate  and  drank 
everything  offered  them.  Though  I  could  not 
understand  a  word  they  said,  they  were  very  merry 
and  talkative,  which  made  their  gestures  only 
the  more  interesting.  It  was  a  most  romantic 
adventure.  We  were  tasting  a  forbidden  fruit  to 
thus  enjoy  the  company  of  those  whose  lives  are 
passed  behind  veils  and  walls,  and  we  should  have 
had  to  undergo  heavy  penance  if  any  Arab  had 
betrayed  our  company ;  for  in  this  respect  the 
Arab  will  stand  no  nonsense. 

The  next  day  the  German  officers  returned  my 
call,  and  invited  me  to  breakfast.  From  them  I 
learned  a  good  deal  of  the  military  conditions  in 
Morocco.  They  said  that  the  Moors  would  make 
good  soldiers,  but  at  present  the  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  training  are  very  great.  The  men  are  only 
in  possession  of  arms  and  uniforms  during  their 
three  hours'  service,  owing  to  their  inconvenient 
habit  of  selling  their  accoutrements.  The  rifles 
are  kept  in  a  strictly  guarded  tower  for  the  same 


g6    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

reason.  There  are,  besides,  no  barracks.  Each 
man  sleeps  where  he  likes,  and  lives  how  he  can. 
In  the  German  Instruction  regiments  the  men 
have  to  serve  every  day,  but  in  the  other  part  of 
the  Mahalla  only  weekly  army  service  is  enforced. 
The  rest  of  their  time  the  men  work  as  artisans, 
or  earn  their  living  in  some  other  way.  The 
greatest  trouble  is  desertion,  which  is  not  punished. 
A  man  will  disappear  suddenly  from  his  place  in 
camp,  and  on  his  return,  after  some  days,  perhaps, 
will  explain  that  he  has  been  to  visit  the  shrine  of 
some  saint.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  Sultan 
will  not  allow  black  soldiers  in  the  German  Instruc- 
tion Corps. 

The  superior  officers  of  the  Moorish  army  use 
their  position  chiefly  to  feather  their  own  nests. 
They  receive  pay  for  all  ranks  from  the  Maghzen, 
but  only  pay  out  half  and  pocket  the  rest.  The 
discipline  is  very  bad.  I  have  seen  with  my  own 
eyes  an  officer  take  a  cigarette  from  the  lips  of  a 
private,  draw  a  puff  or  two,  and  give  it  him  back. 
The  arms  are  Martini  rifles  in  terrible  condition, 
as  they  are  never  cleaned.  Desertion,  as  I  have 
said,  is  the  order  of  the  day.  Who  would  search 
for  a  deserter  in  those  hills  ? 

On  May    i   we  went  to  the  Sookos  to  make 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  97 

purchases.  Business  is  transacted  in  a  remarkable 
manner,  almost  silently,  though  accompanied  by 
many  and  varied  gestures.  You  can  always  re- 
duce the  price  first  given  by  50  per  cent.,  and 
everything  is  incredibly  cheap.  Even  European 
goods  fetch  ridiculous  prices.  This  arises  from 
the  modest  wants  of  the  shopkeepers,  who  content 
themselves  with  a  very  small  profit.  We  were 
dealing  with  one  of  them,  when  someone  intro- 
duced him  as  the  brother-in-law  of  the  Minister 
for  War.  These  merchants  are  generally  people 
of  good  social  standing. 

When  we  reached  home,  M.  Gie  gave  me  a 
recent  number  of  the  T>epeche  Marocaine.  This 
French  paper,  published  in  Tangier,  slandered  the 
Moors  on  every  page,  and  loudly  emphasized  to 
the  world  the  insecurity  of  the  country.  When  I 
read  an  article,  "  Ulnsecurite  a  Maroc,"  where 
I  had  travelled  without  a  single  weapon,  I  saw 
clearly  how  public  opinion  is  humbugged. 

The  only  case  of  violence  that  occurred  on  my 
journey  from  Tangier  was  on  April  23,  as  we 
camped  in  Elcazar.  An  emissary  of  the  Sultan, 
of  the  tribe  of  Khemas,  was  killed.  In  London 
murders  occur  almost  daily,  but  no  one  speaks  of 
the  insecurity  of  life  in  England.     Take  Sicily,  a 

7 


98    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

part  of  the  kingdom  of  Italy,  a  civilized  State  and 
Power  of  the  first  rank.  There  it  is  impossible 
to  travel  as  safely  as  I  did  in  Morocco.  You  are 
never  safe  in  the  district  of  Palermo.  During  my 
residence  in  Fez  a  Sherif  was  killed,  but  that  was 
because  he  had  assaulted  a  woman  ;  it  had  nothing 
to  do  with  the  security  of  the  city.  The  Arab  is 
as  peaceful  a  man  as  you  could  find,  without  a 
trace  of  aggression  in  his  disposition.  But  if  you 
irritate  him,  and  flagrantly  make  mock  of  his  faith, 
you  can  rouse  him  to  do  an  injury. 

He  never  kills  an  animal — Mohammed  has  for- 
bidden it — so  naturally  he  does  not  eat  them.  If 
a  camel  breaks  its  leg,  he  leaves  it  to  die  miserably, 
because  it  is  so  written  in  the  Koran.  Men  and 
animals  live  much  together,  and  I  think  that  is 
good  testimony  to  the  temper  of  the  people. 
The  Arabs  caressed  my  dog  at  every  opportunity. 
Consider  the  contrast  between  this  behaviour  and 
that  of  the  civilized  inhabitants  of  the  Continent, 
who  kick  the  dogs  about  whenever  possible.  Only 
in  England  do  you  find  a  similar  sympathy  for 
animals. 

On  May  2  the  German  Consul  returned  my 
visit,  and  invited  me  to  dine.  On  the  way  I  met  a 
funeral  procession.     The  body,  closely  wrapped  in 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  99 

white  cloth,  lay  on  an  open,  roofed-in  bier,  carried 
by  men.  They  were  singing  a  sad,  beautiful,  and 
simple  air.  In  Egypt,  where  I  saw  many  funerals, 
blind  beggars  headed  the  procession,  followed  by 
women  waving  cloths,  and  wailing,  and  last  of  all 
came  the  men  with  the  closed  coffin.  Here  women 
are  excluded  from  all  ceremonies.  They  are  con- 
sidered unworthy  and  soulless.  The  corpse,  closely 
bound  round  in  white,  reminded  me  of  pictures  of 
the  raising  of  Lazarus  by  Christ  ;  it  was  wrapped 
in  just  such  a  winding-sheet.  Such  old  customs  are 
undying,  and  if  the  "white-skinned  devils"  did 
not  pester  the  land  they  would  remain  immortal, 
to  the  blessing  of  the  people. 

In  the  afternoon  we  went  again  to  the  Sookos, 
accompanied  by  a  Portuguese  manager  of  a  petro- 
leum factory  and  his  young  wife. 

The  large  market,  the  Sok  in  the  middle  of  the 
town,  surrounds  the  Mosque  of  Mouley  Edris. 
This  mosque  contains  the  grave  of  the  founder 
and  patron  saint  of  Fez,  and  is  the  most  revered. 
It  is  considered  a  sanctuary,  and  anyone  who  takes 
refuge  there  is  safe. 

Just  as  in  Roman  Catholic  churches  lights  are 
kept  ever  burning  before  the  shrine,  pilgrims  and 
worshippers  pray  to  the  saint,  throw  money  in  the 

7—2 


loo    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

poor-boxj  and  bring  candles  and  sacrificial  lambs. 
These  gifts  support  the  descendants  of  the  saint, 
who  live  in  Fez  and  are  called  Sherifs. 

The  streets  of  the  Sok  surrounding  the  mosque 
are  sacred  and  barred.  No  animal,  no  Christian, 
and  no  Jew  dare  enter  there. 

Our  companion  explained  to  us  the  organization 
of  the  market.  There  is  a  guild  of  merchants,  and 
the  Maghzen  annually  chooses  from  its  members 
four  experts,  who  form  an  official  board  of  arbitra- 
tion to  settle  all  disputes.  But  disputants  may 
settle  their  differences  through  an  arbiter  of  their 
own  choosing.  As  well  as  the  great  merchant 
guild,  there  are  guilds  for  every  branch  of  trade :  the 
soap-boilers,  honey-makers,  and  butter  merchants 
form  one,  and  the  slipper-makers,  etc.,  another. 

The  Moors  are  gifted  traders,  and  have  extended 
their  mercantile  operations  as  far  as  Manchester, 
Marseilles,  Algiers,  and  Egypt.  The  merchant 
stands  on  the  same  social  footing  as  the  priest  and 
official.  All  the  shops  belong  to  the  priests,  or, 
rather,  to  the  Dead  Hand,  and  the  present  occupier 
has  to  pay  tribute  or  rent.  The  merchants  are 
very  heavily  taxed. 

The  Corporation  chooses  an  Amin,  acknowledged 
by  the  Sultan,  and  the  Amin  acts  as  judge  in  the 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  loi 

disputes  between  shopkeepers.  Disputes  between 
shopkeepers  and  customers  are  under  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  two  experts  chosen  by  the  Sultan.  Above 
all  these  is  the  Mohtaseb,  who  is  of  the  first  rank 
of  officials.  He,  in  common  with  the  Khadi  and 
the  Governor,  has  authority  to  imprison.  He 
alone  has  the  right  of  supervision  and  regulation  of 
trade,  and  naturally  has  to  be  a  most  upright  man. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  this  man  decides  the 
price  of  food.  He  takes  as  his  guide  the  prices 
ruling  in  the  auction,  which  is  held  daily  at  the 
close  of  the  market,  but  he  need  not  be  bound  by 
any  rule  of  precedence. 

When  the  French  newspapers  represent  the 
Arabs  as  savages,  I  would  like  to  ask  if  there  is 
such  a  person  as  this  Mohtaseb  in  Paris.  If  such 
an  office  was  instituted  there,  where  exploitation  of 
the  necessaries  of  life  is  a  daily  occurrence,  then 
that  office  could  not  be  used  for  exploitation 
purposes.  Only  in  such  a  country  as  Morocco 
can  such  a  post  exist  without  becoming  the  tool 
of  the  speculator. 

Our  Portuguese  friend  took  us  round  every- 
where, and  we  made  numerous  purchases. 

In  the  evening,  provided  with  a  small  lamp,  we 
rode  through  the  dark  and  narrow  lanes  to  dine 


I02    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

with  the  Consul.  In  what  other  country  would 
it  be  possible  to  ride  in  safety  through  dark  and 
lonely  unpoliced  lanes  ?  Yet  we  are  told  Morocco 
has  to  be  occupied  because  life  is  unsafe  there. 

The  Consulate  was  a  splendid  building.  There 
was  first  a  large  atrium — an  Arabian  colonnaded 
hall — tiled  with  porcelain  ;  at  the  back  was  a 
veranda,  and  then  behind  that  the  dwelling-house. 
In  the  atrium  beds  of  flowers  and  blooming  roses 
filled  the  air  with  a  delicious  scent,  and  the  splash- 
ing of  the  fountain  in  the  evening  stillness  gave 
a  magic  Eastern  beauty  to  the  scene. 

The  German  Consul,  Dr.  Bassel,  a  young  man 
with  a  young  wife,  two  German  officers,  and 
two  gentlemen  from  the  German  colony,  dined 
with  us. 

The  German  Consul  is  an  Arabic  scholar,  and 
perhaps  one  of  the  best  authorities  on  Moroccan 
affairs.  His  wife  also  gave  me  very  interesting 
information  about  the  life  of  the  women. 

She  said  the  women,  particularly  those  of 
higher  rank,  are  woefully  ignorant,  and  do  nothing 
but  adorn  themselves  and  sing.  She  once  visited 
a  noble  lady  of  Larash,  who  lived  quite  near  the 
sea  and  had  never  had  a  glimpse  of  it.  She  had 
been  muffled  up  behind  the  walls  of  the  house  for 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  103 

years,  and  had  never  even  been  allowed  on  the 
balcony.  Once  a  week  she  was  permitted  to  ride 
out  when  it  was  dark. 

The  Consul  spoke  of  Fez  as  the  city  of  learning 
and  science,  for  it  boasts  of  the  only  African 
University — the  Arabian  Cambridge. 

The  Mosque  of  Karaouiyi  is  the  largest  in  Fez, 
and  can  seat  20,000  faithful.  At  the  same  time 
it  serves  as  the  University,  where  the  professors 
hold  their  lectures.  When  a  scholar  has  gone 
through  the  Normal  School,  which  he  enters  at 
five  years  of  age  and  leaves  at  eighteen,  he  can 
attend  the  University.  The  Normal  Schools  are 
to  be  found  in  all  quarters  of  the  town.  Besides 
these  there  are  fifteen  schools  for  girls  in  Fez,  who 
leave  school  when  they  are  thirteen. 

The  school  buildings  belong  to  the  priests  or 
the  Dead  Hand.  The  teacher,  Fegik,  is  chosen 
by  the  people  of  the  quarter,  and  depends  for  his 
living  on  the  presents  of  the  parents.  The 
subjects  of  instruction  are  reading,  writing,  and 
the  Koran.  If  a  boy  wants  to  learn  more  than 
is  taught  at  the  school,  he  can  take  private  courses 
at  a  shrine  or  mosque.  If  he  goes  to  the  University 
he  must  hear  the  course  at  the  Karaouiyi.  There 
syntax,  grammar,  rhetoric,  logic,  astronomy,  and 


I04    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

mathematics  are  taught.  In  the  corners  of  the 
mosques  lecture  the  professors,  who  are  not  ap- 
pointed, but  are  selected  by  the  vox  popuU.  If 
they  prove  themselves  efficient  and  pass  an 
examination,  they  receive  from  the  Khadi  the 
rank  of  professors  of  the  fifth  class  and  an  annual 
suit  of  clothes.  They  advance  from  this  to  the 
first  class,  when  they  are  allowed  to  lecture  from 
the  highest  step.  There  are  about  twenty  professors 
of  the  first  class. 

The  life  of  the  students  is  very  remarkable. 
They  come  from  all  over  the  country,  even  from 
Algiers  and  Cairo.  They  live  together  upon  alms 
in  separate  colleges,  and  certain  houses  belonging 
to  the  priests  serve  them  for  lodging.  When  a 
student  arrives  he  does  not  hire  a  room,  but  he 
buys  a  key  of  a  room  in  one  of  these  houses  for 
350  to  700  francs,  and  lives  there  as  long  as  he 
likes.  Formerly  he  could  stay  ten  years,  but 
now,  after  three  years,  he  has  to  show  some  proof 
of  capacity  for  his  profession.  The  priests  provide 
them  with  bread,  but  everything  else  they  have  to 
get  from  various  other  houses.  Is  it  so  uncivilized, 
after  all  } 

When  the  students  leave  the  University  any 
career  is  open  to  them,   though  it  must  not  be 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  105 

forgotten  that  most  posts  are  hereditary,  and  that 
the  future  of  students  without  a  genealogical  tree 
is  not  very  promising.  It  is  just  the  same  in 
France.  It  is  not  capacity,  but  the  relationship 
to  a  man  in  office,  that  is  the  deciding  factor  of 
advancement.  The  once  aristocratic  nepotism  that 
received  its  justification  from  hereditary  descent 
has  degenerated  to  our  present  state  of  political 
corruption. 

We  then  returned  to  the  subject  of  the  women. 
The  Moors  have  no  harems.  Men  and  women 
of  one  family  live  together.  The  atrium  is  the 
centre  of  the  family  life.  This  is  very  inter- 
esting, because  it  proves  that  the  Egyptian  and 
Turkish  harem  is  a  later  development  of  Moham- 
medanism. 

The  Consul,  in  talking  of  the  flora  and 
fauna,  mentioned  that  a  line  drawn  from  Fez  to 
Rabatt  would  show  the  limits  beyond  which  no 
sparrows  or  rabbits  are  to  be  found.  In  the 
trees  of  the  garden  there  were  many  sparrows. 
Rats  are  a  regular  plague,  for  the  absence  of 
scavenging  makes  Fez  a  perfect  paradise  for  them. 

On  my  left  at  table  was  the  Postmaster,  newly 
nominated  as  the  Austrian  Consul.  Till  then  our 
fifty-two  million  Austrians  had  been  unrepresented. 


io6    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

In  honour    of  his    election    I    invited  the  whole 
party  to  breakfast  in  our  tents. 

We  passed  the  evening  on  the  terrace,  fanned 
by  cooHng  breezes  most  welcome  after  the  heat  of 
the  day. 

Next  day  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  man 
who  was  able  to  give  me  very  exact  information  on 
customs  in  Morocco.  He  told  me  that  the  custom 
of  having  many  wives  is  dying  out.  The  Arabs 
of  rank  generally  have  one  wife  and  many  slaves. 
The  same  thing  holds  good  in  the  middle  class, 
but  from  reasons  of  economy.  So  slavery  flourishes. 
There  is  a  good  slave  trade  in  Fez.  The  price  of 
girls  varies.  The  ill-favoured  or  unaccomplished 
ones  are  very  cheap.  Those  who  can  cook  well 
or  sing  cost  more,  and  the  courtesans  are  dearest 
of  all.  The  children  of  slaves  are  legitimate,  so 
each  generation  of  slaves  dies  out  and  new  pur- 
chases have  to  be  made.  Many  are  given  their 
liberty,  particularly  when  their  owner  dies.  The 
slaves  are  not  without  rights.  For  instance,  by 
taking  refuge  in  a  mosque  they  may  be  sold  to 
a  new  master  if  they  are  unhappy.  In  distinction 
from  Turkish  customs,  the  slave  here  can  be  sold 
again  by  her  own  master. 

Turning  to  legal  marriage,  he  told  me  that  the 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  107 

parents  arrange  this  without  consulting  the  con- 
tracting parties  at  all.  The  two  fathers  arrange 
the  marriage  and  settle  the  price,  but  the  wedding 
only  takes  place  when  the  money  has  been  paid 
by  the  bridegroom.  The  marriage  settlement  is 
drawn  up  in  a  mosque,  and  exactly  defines  the 
wife's  and  husband's  rights  and  duties ;  for  instance, 
how  many  slaves  the  husband  may  have,  and  how 
often  the  wife  may  go  to  her  home. 

The  marriage  is  proclaimed  with  special  cele- 
brations, and  the  barber  plays  an  important  part. 
One  will  be  reminded  of  the  barber  of  Seville,  who 
is  a  relic  of  the  time  of  the  Moorish  occupation 
of  Spain.  The  holy  Mouley  Edris  is  the  patron 
saint  of  barbers.  The  barber  is  the  most  im- 
portant person  in  the  whole  wedding  ceremonies  ; 
he  shaves  the  bridegroom,  binds  on  his  turban,  and 
so  on.  Then  follow  great  festivities,  feasts,  ex- 
change of  presents,  and  music,  continued  till  the 
day  of  the  actual  wedding  arrives.  The  bride  sits 
for  seven  days  on  a  raised  stool  surrounded  by 
her  relatives.  In  the  evenings,  closely  veiled,  she 
is  led  round  the  streets  on  a  mule.  She  takes 
seven  baths,  one  every  day,  and  the  time  is  spent 
in  adorning  her  and  rubbing  her  with  henna,  which 
gives  a  gold-brown   tone  to  the  skin.     Then  a 


io8    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

master  in  the  art  comes  and  paints  figures  with 
citron  juice  on  her  hands  and  feet.  During  this 
time  there  is  continual  firing  of  volleys,  music 
and  singing. 

When  children  are  born,  they  are  not  washed 
till  eight  days  after  birth.  A  year  later  comes  the 
barber  again  and  shaves  the  child's  head,  except  for 
one  little  tuft.  This  tuft  is  of  great  significance. 
The  road  to  heaven  is  difficult  and  dangerous,  and 
when  the  faithful  stumble  the  Prophet  can  hold 
them  up  by  these  tufts  of  hair. 

The  society  of  Fez  is  very  aristocratic,  as  is 
Moroccan  society  generally.  The  descendants  of 
the  patron  saint,  Mouley  Edris,  are  Sherifs,  holy 
men — as  are  also  the  Alaonites,  the  relations  of 
the  Sultan.  Besides  these  there  are  also  Sherifs 
from  other  parts  of  the  country.  No  registers  are 
kept,  yet  the  various  families  live  very  distinct. 
Each  family  chooses  a  chief  and  lives  in  its  own 
quarter.  The  holy  men  lead  a  most  comfortable 
life  on  the  kindly  gifts  left  for  them  in  the  mosques. 

The  service  for  the  dying  is  very  simple.  There 
is  only  one  simple  prayer  said  at  the  bedside, 
"  There  is  but  one  God,  and  Mohammed  is  His 
Prophet."  After  death  the  various  holy  brethren, 
especially  the  Aissaui,  come  to  pray,  and  students 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  109 

read  the  Koran.  The  burial  takes  place  as  soon 
as  possible  the  same  night  or  next  morning.  The 
corpse  is  carried  to  the  nearest  mosque,  priests 
stand  round  it  and  pray,  then  it  is  carried  with 
hymns  to  the  graveyard.  Every  family  has  its 
own  vault. 

All  business  relating  to  the  division  or  inheritance 
of  property  is  left  to  two  Adoulen.  Mohammed 
the  Prophet  gave  detailed  instructions  on  the 
division  of  property.  A  third  may  be  disposed  of 
according  to  wish ;  the  parents  receive  a  sixth,  and 
sons  double  as  much  as  daughters. 

I  then  inquired  into  the  state  of  medicine.  The 
doctors  are  generally  holy  men.  There  is  no  real 
art  of  medicine,  or  scientific  diagnosis  of  disease, 
and  it  is  not  a  University  subject.  Talismans  are 
the  chief  medical  remedies.  Every  disease  has  its 
koubba  and  its  saints.  The  Koubba  Bou  Ghelet 
is  the  most  favoured  resort  of  the  sick.  This  is 
illustrated  by  an  incident  I  heard  of  a  soldier 
under  the  German  officers  who  was  seized  with  a 
bad  illness,  and  hurried  with  an  offering  of  candles 
to  a  saint  three  days'  journey  away. 

The  only  doctors  are  from  Mecca,  and  have 
miraculous  cures — dates  from  Mecca  and  water 
from    the    spring    of  Zem-Zem.     But   the   most 


no    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

efficacious  of  all  is  sand  gathered  from  the  grave  of 
the  Prophet.  Besides  these  famous  scientific  doctors 
is  a  Syrian  from  Constantinople  who  really  has 
some  systematic  knowledge.  It  is  surprising  that 
under  these  conditions  there  is  so  little  mortality. 

If  we  really  want  to  help  the  Moors,  let  us 
assist  them  in  relation  to  disease.  The  hungry 
money-grabbers  do  not  trouble  about  such  things. 
All  they  care  about  is  to  get  millions  more  wage- 
slaves.  Yet,  what  would  it  cost  Europe  to  start 
here  a  course  for  the  study  of  surgery  and 
medicine  ?  There  are  plenty  of  doctors  who  know 
Arabic,  or  could  learn  it.  For  at  present  it  is  very 
difficult  to  converse  with  the  people,  as  even  the 
interpreters  do  not  know  any  foreign  language 
properly,  and  only  translate  with  difficulty.  If  the 
Europeans  have  the  welfare  of  the  Moors  really  so 
much  at  heart,  let  them  come  forward  to  heal  the 
sick  and  soothe  the  suffering,  to  build  hospitals  in 
Morocco,  and  to  help  those  who  cannot  help  them- 
selves. This  miserable  state  of  things  demands 
immediate  amehoration,  and  I  think  the  Sultan 
will  soon  call  upon  the  Maghzen  to  improve  the 
sanitation  and  hygiene  of  the  country. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  celebration  of  the  elec- 
tion of  the  Austrian  Consul,  the  German  Consul's 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  iii 

wife  visited  our  tent  in  Moorish  dress.  It  had  a 
curious  effect,  for  it  was  easy  to  see  she  was  no 
native,  and  her  blue  eyes  under  the  veiling  were 
a  striking  contrast  to  the  dark  and  fiery  brown 
eyes  of  the  Arabian  women.  It  is  to  be  questioned 
whether  this  Moorish  custom  of  hiding  women 
behind  veils  is  not  good.  There  are  many  more 
old  and  ugly  women  than  there  are  young  and 
pretty  ones,  and  it  seemed  to  me  an  excellent  means 
of  preserving  ugly  and  self-conscious  women  from 
suffering  the  indignity  of  hostile  criticism.  The 
veil  is  one  of  those  customs  that  have  arisen  from 
the  aristocratic  pride  of  the  Arab,  who  does  not 
wish  to  subject  his  wife  to  the  depreciating  remarks 
of  men. 

After  breakfast  we  went  into  the  Jewish  quarter. 
The  Arabian  Ghetto,  called  the  Mellah,  lies  south- 
east of  the  town,  and  is  a  most  remarkable  and 
picturesque  sight.  The  narrow  alleys  are  even 
more  evil-smelling  than  in  the  Arabian  quarters. 
Everywhere  are  to  be  seen  unveiled  girls  and 
women.  On  their  heads  they  wear  peculiar 
coloured  cloths.  The  men  are  not  like  the  Con- 
tinental Jews,  small  and  misshapen,  but  handsome 
and  well  built. 

When  the  town  of  Fez  was  founded  there  were 


112     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

in  Morocco  aboriginal  Jews  from  pre-Arabian 
times.  Mouley  Edris  brought  them  to  Fez,  and 
put  them  under  the  direct  protection  of  the  Sultan. 
They  were  installed  in  their  Mellah  and  ruled 
themselves,  though  they  had  to  pay  certain  taxes 
to  the  Sultan.  But  who  paid  them  was  the  affair 
of  the  Jewish  community ;  the  Maghzen  did  not 
trouble  about  it. 

The  Arabs  do  not  want  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  the  internal  affairs  of  the  Mellah,  which  means 
"  dirty  place,"  but  make  certain  regulations  for  the 
behaviour  of  the  Jews  outside  their  own  quarter. 
They  have,  for  instance,  to  wear  black  caftans, 
black  slippers,  and  black  turbans,  though  I  saw 
many  light-coloured  caftans,  and  must  not  pass 
a  mosque  without  taking  off  their  slippers. 

The  government  of  the  Mellah  is  quite  con- 
stitutional. Seven  town  councillors  are  chosen, 
three  priests,  and  four  laymen.  They,  in  turn, 
choose  a  chief  administrator. 

The  houses  look  like  dovecotes,  and  from  the 
scattered  windows  peep  bejewelled  Jewesses. 
On  the  walls  is  painted  a  hand  to  keep  off  the 
evil  eye.  The  Arabs  also  use  this  hand  as  a 
protection  against  evil  spirits.  The  present-day 
Jews  in  Fez  are  terribly  superstitious. 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  113 

The  girls  are  betrothed  when  as  young  as  five 
or  eight,  and  if  a  poor  child  finds  no  husband  she 
is  believed  to  be  bewitched,  and  is  avoided  by  the 
whole  population.  The  belief  in  the  evil  eye  is 
also  found  in  Europe,  and  particularly  in  Spain 
and  Italy.  I  remember  a  lady  in  Venice  who  was 
supposed  to  have  the  evil  eye,  and  who  was  shunned 
by  superstitious  people. 

My  guide,  an  intelligent  young  Israelite,  spoke 
good  French,  so  that  I  could  easily  get  informa- 
tion. 1  was  particularly  astonished  to  find  that  the 
Jews  in  Fez  are  greatly  given  to  drink.  They 
drink  a  spirit  prepared  by  themselves,  and 
often  render  themselves  senseless.  There  is  a 
strong  emigration  movement,  especially  to  South 
America. 

It  is  impossible  to  get  at  the  number  of  the 
population,  as  all  records  are  wanting.  My  guide 
believed  there  were  10,000  Jews  in  Fez,  and  more 
in  Marrakesh  and  Mogador,  but  of  the  figure  for 
the  whole  of  Morocco  he  had  no  idea.  The  Jews 
are  generally  poor,  but  some  among  them  have 
considerable  wealth. 

The  Maghzen  employs  some  for  its  business, 
and  every  Kaid  has  his  Jewish  retainer,  like  the 
noblemen  of  Galicia.     The  Jews  practise   many 

8 


1 14     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

arts  and  callings  besides  those  of  trade  and  money- 
lending. 

The  only  subjects  of  school  instruction  are 
reading  the  Talmud  and  Hebrew.  The  Spanish 
Jews  who  fled  there  in  the  sixteenth  century  have 
kept  their  distinguishing  peculiarities,  and  teach 
their  children  Spanish.  "  L' Alliance  Israelite  '* 
has  done  much  for  the  schools  of  Morocco.  There 
are  3,000  pupils  in  them.  Europeans  are  accepted, 
who  afterwards  go  abroad  or  stay  in  the  country 
and  prosper  well,  owing  to  their  knowledge  of 
languages.  My  guide  had  been  taught  in  one  of 
these  schools. 

The  Jews  as  well  as  the  Arabs  of  Fez  largely 
occupy  their  time  with  religious  observances.  They 
pray  three  times  a  day,  and  every  action  is  blessed 
or  prayed  over.  Differing  from  the  Jews  generally, 
these  people  worship  saints  ;  they  have  probably 
adopted  this  custom  from  the  neighbouring  Arabs. 
They  have  their  holy  Rabbis  and  their  shrines  to 
which  they  make  pilgrimages.  Other  Jews  of  the 
Talmud  have  always  condemned  the  worship  of 
saints.  In  the  Jewish  burial-ground  in  Fez  a  part 
is  specially  railed  off  and  reserved  for  the  burial  of 
saints,  and  on  feast-days  the  whole  Jewish  popula- 
tion prays  beside  these  graves.     In  many  ways  this 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  115 

graveyard  Is  different  from  Jewish  graveyards  in 
Europe.  The  most  ancient  of  those  have  stone 
monuments  and  gravestones  ;  but  here  are  clay 
catafalques  of  all  sizes — snow-white,  black,  or  blue. 
The  manufacture  of  these  forms  the  sole  calling  of 
certain  Jews.  The  Jews  hate  the  sight  of  strangers 
in  their  graveyards  as  much  as  the  Moors. 

The  flight  of  centuries  has  not  affected  their 
ritual,  which  appears  to  be  the  same  as  it  was  at 
the  time  of  the  exodus  from  Egypt.  Their  prayers 
still  offer  praise  for  the  deliverance  out  of  Egypt. 
Their  Easter  Festival  is  particularly  interesting. 
The  father  of  the  family  breaks  bread,  as  Christ 
did,  blesses  it,  and  divides  it  among  those  seated 
round  the  table.  He  then  takes  the  wine  (it 
comes  from  the  Atlas  Mountains),  blesses  it,  and 
it  is  passed  round.  What  tenacity  of  national 
customs !  The  Sabbath  is  kept  very  strictly.  No 
letter  even  is  opened  on  that  day.  The  people 
merely  walk  about  and  occupy  themselves  with 
religious  exercises.  The  Jews'  Easter  Festival 
lasts  eight  days,  and  on  the  great  day  eggs  and 
meat,  over  which  a  blessing  has  been  pronounced, 
are  partaken  of  The  eggs  are  considered  to  bring 
luck.  These  Jews,  whose  ancestors  lived  in  Morocco 
in  pre-Christian  times,  seem  to  have  preserved  the 

8—2 


ii6     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

Israelitish  rites  (still  found  in  altered  form  in  the 
Roman  Catholic  rehgion),  in  distinction  from  the 
ante-Christian  Jews  of  Palestine,  and  all  efforts  of 
the  missionaries  of  "  L' Alliance  Israelite "  have 
failed  to  effect  any  change  in  their  customs. 

The  Jews  in  Morocco  are  quite  safe  from  per- 
secution. As  long  as  I  was  there  only  one  was 
murdered,  though  the  only  paper  I  could  get — 
Le  Journal  of  Paris — reports  two  or  three  cases  of 
murder  and  theft  daily.  The  Arab  is  much  too 
aristocratic  to  attack  a  Jew.  The  Arabs  despise 
the  Jews  as  much  as  they  do  Christians,  but  they 
do  not  harm  them.  Europe,  which  talks  of  intro- 
ducing its  "  civilized  customs,"  would  do  well  to 
take  note  of  this.  The  Jews  are  seldom  exploited 
and  robbed  now,  though  in  the  Middle  Ages, 
when  they  first  took  refuge  there,  they  were  per- 
secuted by  the  Spaniards  and  Portuguese.  The 
only  murder  I  heard  of  was  that  of  a  rich  Hebrew 
named  Ben  Mechsal,  under  the  Sultan  Mouley  el 
Rechid.  Like  so  many  Moroccan  Sultans,  Mouley 
el  Rechid  had  no  money,  and  so  instigated  the 
murder  and  robbery  by  students  of  the  wealthy 
Ben  Mechsal. 

In  memory  of  this  murder,  the  students'  organi- 
zation (called  Tolba)  perform  a  curious  ceremony. 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  117 

They  put  a  crown  up  to  auction,  and  the  highest 
bidder  is  made  Sultan  of  the  Tolba.  The  most 
astonishing  feature  of  this  celebration  is  that  the 
real  Sultan  sends  all  the  insignia  of  his  Serene 
Majesty  to  the  student  Sultan  by  the  person  of  the 
Lord  Chamberlain,  escorted  by  soldiers,  with  a 
horse,  the  great  red  sunshade,  a  Sultan's  robe,  the 
slaves  to  keep  away  the  flies,  and  the  lance- 
bearers.  This  takes  place  on  Monday  afternoon. 
On  Friday  the  "  Sultan  of  the  Tolba "  makes  a 
solemn  procession  outside  the  town.  Prayers  are 
ofl^ered  up  for  him,  and  his  camp,  surrounded  by 
many  tents,  is  erected  near  the  town.  In  the  tents 
are  all  kinds  of  people  making  merry  in  the  company 
of  the  students.  This  festival  lasts  seven  whole 
days.  On  the  seventh  the  real  Sultan  rides  out, 
preceded  by  a  near  relation  laden  with  rich  gifts, 
and  the  false  one  goes  to  meet  him  with  all  his 
Court.  At  the  meeting  the  false  Sultan  springs 
from  his  horse  and  kisses  the  other^s  stirrup. 
The  "  Sultan  of  the  Tolba  "  then  has  the  right  to 
ask  a  boon,  which  the  Sultan  grants.  This  ends 
the  ceremony,  and  before  daybreak  the  one-time 
Sultan  must  leave  his  tent,  or  it  will  go  ill  with  him. 
The  special  interest  of  this  celebration  lies  in  the 
attitude  and  position  of  the  real  Sultan,  which  so 


ii8     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

closely  resembles  that  of  the  Pope  in  Europe  ;  say, 
for  instance,  on  the  occasion  of  the  Carnival,  or 
Shrove  Day  ceremony,  at  Rome.  But  the  Arabs 
are  a  serious  people,  and  have  no  theatres  and 
merry-making  as  we  have.  Only  once  a  year 
the  Arab  has  a  kind  of  carnival — the  Feast  of 
Anchoura  —  celebrated  on  the  tenth  day  of  the 
Mohammedan  January.  Mohammed  commands 
that  on  this  day  every  man  must  give  a  fourth 
of  his  income  to  the  poor — a  kind  of  income-tax 
of  25  per  cent. 

This  is  the  great  bathing  day.  The  rich  wash 
themselves  in  water  from  Zem-Zem,  the  Arabian 
Lourdes,  for  the  Prophet  says,  "  Whoever  bathes 
himself  on  this  day  shall  be  without  illness  for  a 
year."  This  furnished  me,  for  the  first  time,  with 
the  explanation  of  the  absence  of  the  sick.  I  did 
not  meet  one.  During  the  Feast  of  Anchoura 
presents  are  given  to  the  children,  and  all  ranks 
give  themselves  up  to  merry-making.  Farces  are 
acted  in  booths  lighted  by  paper  lanterns,  and 
various  types  of  people  are  caricatured — a  very 
dirty  Jew,  a  minister  of  the  Maghzen,  a  Khadi, 
a  midwife,  and — as  most  exquisite  drollery — a 
European  Ambassador  murdering  the  native 
tongue. 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  FEZ  119 

I  should  like  here  to  say  a  few  words  regarding 
the  Arabian  festivals  in  general.  The  French 
author  Aubin,  in  his  book  "Maroc  d'Aujourd'hui," 
describes  them  in  great  detail.  As  his  descrip- 
tions are  too  long  for  the  size  of  my  book,  I  will 
merely  give  a  precis  of  his  account. 

The  Arabs  have  three  great  festivals — Christmas, 
Easter,  and  Whitsuntide  :  the  first  called  L'Aid  el 
Kebir,  the  second  Mouloud  or  Mouled,  and  the 
third  UAid  es  Seghir. 

The  great  Feast  of  L'Aid  el  Kebir  is  the  feast  of 
the  sacrificial  lamb  of  Abraham,  and  falls  at  the 
time  of  our  Christmas.  The  men  exchange 
presents  and  forgive  old  scores.  On  this  day 
every  man  must  sacrifice  at  least  one  lamb,  and 
rich  families  often  sacrifice  several.  Before  L'Aid 
el  Kebir  there  is  a  great  fair  in  Fez,  and  over 
50,000  lambs  are  often  sold.  The  chief  presents 
people  make  to  each  other  are  lambs.  The  State 
takes  this  opportunity  to  give  new  uniforms  to  the 
troops  and  officials.  The  feast  lasts  seven  days. 
On  the  first  day  the  Sultan  goes  to  the  Msalla, 
as  I  have  described,  descends  from  his  horse,  and 
sacrifices  a  lamb.  A  cannon  gives  the  signal  of 
the  ceremony,  and  in  every  house  in  Fez  the 
father  of  the  family  kills  one  or  more  lambs  with 


I20    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

his  own  hand.  After  the  Sultan  has  sacrificed  a 
lamb,  the  Khatib — a  priest  who  has  given  a  short 
sermon  before  the  ceremony — comes  forward  and 
does  likewise.  Two  servants  seize  the  animal,  and 
ride  as  quickly  as  possible  to  the  house  of  the 
Khatib.  If  the  lamb  still  lives  on  their  arrival,  it 
is  a  good  omen.  In  order  to  minimize  the  risk  of 
a  bad  omen  the  men  hold  the  arteries  of  the  sheep 
together.  Then  bands  play,  cannon  are  fired,  and 
the  festivities,  which  consist  of  much  the  same 
religious  excitements  that  we  saw  in  Tangier,  begin. 

At  Mouled  the  Sultan  repeats  his  ceremony  for 
three  days.  The  first  day  it  is  purely  a  religious 
rite,  but  on  the  two  following  days  it  takes  on  a 
feudal  character,  for  the  tribes  make  it  an  occasion 
to  ofi^er  homage  and  presents  to  the  Sultan. 

Besides  the  three  feasts  mentioned,  which  are 
celebrated  in  more  or  less  the  same  manner,  comes 
the  Rhamadan,  when  meals  have  to  be  taken  at 
certain  hours  of  the  night.  This  feast  lasts  a 
whole  month.  It  is  evident  that  the  Arab  has  his 
time  so  filled  up  with  all  these  festivals  that  he 
has  no  leisure  to  enter  on  such  immoral  paths  as 
the  European  barbarians.  As  the  moral  lesson  of 
each  feast  is  Forgiveness,  Charity,  and  Gladness, 
they  can  but  exercise  a  beneficial  influence. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  SULTAN  AND  THE  MAGHZEN 

We  had  a  very  interesting  guest  to  dinner  while 
in  Fez,  and  this  was  the  physician  to  the  King. 
He  is  an  Australian,  and  has  lived  in  Fez  for 
many  years.  Owing  to  his  official  position,  I  can- 
not repeat  his  opinions  as  fully  as  I  would  like, 
but  must  confine  myself  to  the  mention  of  one  or 
two^especially  interesting  points. 

He  related  many  stories  of  the  late  Sultan 
Mouley  el  Hassan,  who  was  a  man  not  to  be 
trifled  with. 

If  a  Maghzen  or  Pacha  had  been  appropriating 
money  too  freely,  he  was  invited  to  drink  a  cup  of 
coffee  with  the  Sultan.  A  few  hours  later  the  culprit 
was  in  Allah's  lap,  while  his  wealth  replenished 
the  State  coffers.  The  same  end  was  often  reached 
by  legitimate  imprisonment  or  capital  punishment. 
Thus  under  Mouley  el  Hassan  the  Treasury  was 
always   in    a    flourishing    condition,   while    under 

121 


122     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

Abd-el-Laziz  it  is  always  empty,  because  he  is  in- 
fected by  European  humanitarianism.  The  people 
say,  "  He  is  no  Sultan  that  rules  in  such  a  manner, 
and  never  shortens  by  a  head." 

Fox-Pitt  related  a  good  story  of  the  Shah  of 
Persia  on  the  occasion  of  his  visit  to  London. 
After  he  had  seen  many  sights  and  institutions,  he 
complained  that  he  had  not  witnessed  an  execu- 
tion. They  replied  to  him  that  as  there  was  no 
prisoner  awaiting  capital  punishment  at  present, 
they  could  not  show  him  the  ceremony.  He 
answered,  "  Then  take  two  of  my  people." 

In  the  eyes  of  an  Eastern  monarch  the  lives  of 
his  subjects  are  completely  at  his  disposal,  and  on 
this  idea  of  possession  the  whole  Constitution  is 
based.  Ministers  are  allowed  to  appropriate  funds, 
but  when  they  are  considered  to  have  plundered 
enough  they  are  quietly  done  away  with,  and  their 
wealth  confiscated.  This  system  permits  no  arising 
of  Carnegies  and  Morgans,  and  really  acts  as  a 
good  means  of  checking  disproportionate  wealth  in 
the  social  body.  To-day  the  Ministers  and  Pachas 
steal  as  much  as  ever  they  did,  but  because  the 
equalizing  method  is  no  longer  practised  the  State 
of  Morocco  begins  to  totter.  Abd-el-Laziz  has 
forsaken  the  traditional  methods  of  ruling,  and  is 


THE  SULTAN  AND  THE  MAGHZEN   123 

Sultan  without  applying  those  means  which  are 
the  source  of  the  strength  of  his  position.  This 
must  lead  to  catastrophe.  A  humane  Sultan  is 
merely  a  farcical  figure. 

This  position  is  greatly  due  to  Sir  Harry 
Maclean.  Twenty  years  ago  he  went  as  in- 
structor of  the  Mahalla,  and  now  is  Kaid  Harry 
Maclean,  and  commanding  officer  of  a  large 
number  of  soldiers.  He  was  the  adviser  and 
educator  of  the  Sultan,  and  is  at  the  same  time 
the  best  source  of  information  on  Moroccan  affairs 
for  English  diplomats. 

Maclean  has  the  true  English  spirit,  and  has 
inoculated  the  Sultan  with  his  own  respect  for 
justice.  This  would  have  been  well  if  in  the 
whole  country  there  was  a  shadow  of  respect  for 
worldly  justice.  All  the  prevalent  ideas  of  justice  are 
so  bound  up  with  religious  sentiment  that  it  needs 
the  commands  of  the  infallible  Pope,  the  Sultan, 
to  put  them  in  force.  His  will  constitutes  right 
and  justice.  If  you  wish  to  shake  that  belief  you 
will  have  to  pull  down  the  whole  edifice  of  society. 

The  physician  told  a  good  story  of  an  English- 
man appointed  to  some  position  by  the  late  Sultan, 
Mouley  el  Hassan.  He  would  not  kiss  the  ground 
when  entering  his  Majesty's  presence,  so  the  Lord 


124    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

Chamberlain  devised  a  ruse  to  force  him  to  it.  A 
kind  of  covering  to  the  entrance  was  made  with  so 
small  an  opening  that  the  Englishman  would  have 
to  enter  on  his  knees,  with  his  face  bowed  to  the 
ground.  The  Englishman,  however,  did  not  fall 
into  the  trap,  but  entered  feet  first.  After  this 
dire  failure  no  further  efforts  were  made  to  induce 
Europeans  to  comply  with  the  Eastern  mode  of 
salutation.     The  present  Sultan  never  expects  it. 

The  doctor  gave  us  another  amusing  story: 
For  many  years  there  had  lived  in  Fez  an  Italian, 
a  cartridge  and  rifle  manufacturer,  and  a  man  of 
some  ingenuity.  He  was  always  called  to  the 
palace  in  certain  cases  of  emergency.  One  day 
a  lion  from  the  Royal  Menagerie  escaped,  and 
immediately  the  Sultan  sent  for  the  Italian  "  to 
come  and  catch  the  lion."  Curiously  enough,  he 
succeeded  in  doing  so. 

I  inquired  after  the  affair  of  the  murdered 
saint,  and  heard  that  immediately  the  body  was 
discovered  the  Sultan  had  twenty  suspected  holy 
men  imprisoned.  The  first  bastinado  had  no 
result,  but  it  was  hoped  the  second  would  be  more 
successful ! 

During  our  visit  to  Fez  the  papers  were  filled 
with  **  alarming  news  of  occurrences  in  Morocco." 


THE  SULTAN  AND  THE  MAGHZEN    125 

But  no  one  we  met  had  heard  anything  of 
them. 

Our  dragoman  had  been  four  years  in  the 
palace,  and  still  had  relatives  there;  so  we  sent 
him  to  take  photographs  of  the  interior,  but 
unfortunately  they  all  turned  out  badly.  He 
gave  us,  however,  a  very  detailed  description  of 
the  interior. 

The  Sultan  is  a  very  dark-skinned  man,  the  son 
of  a  Circassian  slave  from  Constantinople.  He 
has  never  been  legally  married,  but  has  innumerable 
slaves.  The  dragoman  maintained  he  had  no 
children,  but  other  intimates  of  the  palace  deny 
this.  In  fact,  a  son  had  been  pointed  out  to  me. 
The  watchmaker,  to  the  Sultan,  an  Englishman, 
would  give  me  no  information  on  this  point,  but 
inclined  to  the  view  that  the  Sultan  is  without 
a  direct  heir.  Each  royal  wife  has  her  own  house- 
hold within  the  palace,  which  forms  a  little  town 
in  itself,  and  from  without  the  walls  can  be  seen 
the  roofs  of  the  great  buildings  of  the  Sultan  and 
his  wives.  Aubin,  the  great  authority  on  life  in 
the  palace,  was  fortunate  enough  to  be  able  to 
make  most  exact  observations. 

I  will  merely  mention  a  few  characteristic  points. 
The  Sultan    is  the  only  man    in    Morocco   who 


126     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

has  eunuchs  imported  from  Constantinople.  His 
personal  staff  consists  of  women.  The  cooks 
alone  are  men,  for  their  office  is  combined  with 
another — that  of  bastinadoing  the  women  when 
they  transgress  in  any  way.  The  women  have 
various  posts — the  mistress  of  the  linen,  the  mis- 
tress of  the  pantry,  of  the  tea  service,  and  so  on. 
The  Sultan  eats  alone,  and  in  the  afternoon  he 
passes  the  time  in  playing  billiards,  polo,  riding  in 
his  cab,  motor-boat,  or  motor-car.  There  is  not 
sufficient  water  for  boating  in  the  palace  grounds, 
so  on  the  days  his  Majesty  desires  to  boat  the 
whole  water-supply  of  Fez  has  to  be  diverted  into 
the  park,  and  the  150,000  inhabitants  are  thus 
deprived  of  water  for  two  days. 

Next  to  the  Sultan's  sleeping  apartments  is  a 
room  of  ''reunion,'*  where  the  wives  pass  the  night, 
to  be  ready  at  his  call. 

On  Thursdays  the  wives  are  allowed  to  go  into  the 
garden.  There  they  ride  bicycles,  and  enjoy  various 
amusements,  dressed  in  Paris  hats  and  gowns. 

There  is  also  a  Court  singer,  a  Shaikka,  whose 
name  is  Zineb.  She  did  not  gain  her  position  by 
merit,  but  by  favouring  influence  ;  one  observes 
this  sort  of  thing  everywhere.  There  is  a  Court 
jester,  after  the  old  mediaeval  fashion. 


THE  SULTAN  AND  THE  MAGHZEN   127 

The  Sultan's  relatives  do  not  live  at  Court.  If 
they  are  dangerous,  they  are  banished  and  watched  ; 
if  harmless,  they  live  as  private  people  and  enjoy 
no  special  honour.  A  princess,  a  SheriiFa,  may 
not  marry  a  private  person.  If  she  can  find  no 
man  of  equal  rank  to  marry  her,  she  must  resign 
herself  to  single  blessedness.  If  in  spite  of  this 
she  marry,  her  husband  is  imprisoned  for  life. 
The  Sultan  is  no  respecter  of  titled  personages. 
At  the  present  time  the  eldest  brother  of  the 
Sultan,  Mouley  Mohammed,  is  in  prison,  not 
because  he  has  in  any  way  shown  himself  dangerous, 
but  because  he  might  be  so. 

The  Sultan  learnt  to  play  the  piano  from  his 
Circassian  mother,  and  he  is  said  to  play  well. 
He  has  added  to  his  father's  old  volume  of  music 
a  new  European  selection,  and  105  musicians 
live  at  the  palace.  Besides  this  band  he  has  his 
trumpeters,  who  accompany  him  when  the  imperial 
sunshade  is  borne  above  him.  These  trumpeters, 
the  sunshade,  and  the  slaves  to  keep  off  the  flies, 
form  the  imperial  paraphernalia.  The  trumpets 
fanfare  the  Arabian  times  of  prayer  before  the 
Sultan's  door,  first  in  the  morning,  then  at  sunrise, 
and  last,  about  ten  at  night. 

The  young  Sultan  deviates  more  and  more  from 


128     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

the  traditional  customs  of  his  forefathers,  and  who 
knows  whether  even  this  one  may  not  be  discon- 
tinued ?  The  modernizing  of  inherited  customs 
depresses  the  Moorish  people.  Though  they  see 
little  of  it,  they  know  enough  to  be  distrustful.  For 
instance,  while  the  Sultan  only  shows  himself  to  the 
people  four  times  a  year,  the  inhabitants  of  Fez  see 
Europeans  in  and  out  of  the  palace  at  all  times. 

The  Arabs  are  most  suspicious  of  new  things, 
such  as  photographic  cameras,  the  telegraph,  and  all 
kinds  of  machines  and  engines  ;  while  the  Sultan, 
on  the  contrary,  takes  great  interest  in  all  novelties. 
All  kinds  of  modern  inventions — gramophones, 
wireless  telegraphy,  etc. — are  to  be  found  in  the 
palace. 

Not  the  least  of  my  wonder  was  at  the  manner 
of  transport  of  all  these  things — the  cab,  the 
billiard-tables,  and  motor-boat — which  had  been 
carried  from  Larash  on  the  backs  of  mules,  along 
the  horrible  Arabian  paths.  The  discontent  of 
the  people  does  not  disturb  the  Sultan.  When 
he  wishes  to  go  through  the  streets  in  a  motor- 
car he  orders  the  people  to  keep  within  locked 
doors.  He  has  lost  much  of  the  strength  of  his 
position  through  such  behaviour,  as  well  as  through 
his  weakness.     Though  much  loved  by  his  imme- 


THE  SULTAN  AND  THE  MAGHZEN    129 

diate  personal  followers,  they  are  not  blind  to  his 
faults.  At  the  Feast  of  Mouled  he  should  enter 
the  Msalla  at  four  o'clock,  but  on  the  occasion  I 
was  there  he  did  not  appear  till  half-past  four,  as 
he  was  playing  polo  before  starting.  His  subjects 
are  more  offended  by  such  laxity  than  if  he  had 
poisoned  seven  Wazeers. 

Abd-el-Laziz  much  resembles  Sultan  Mehemed 
Ali  of  Egypt.  Seventy  years  ago  my  father,  in 
company  with  an  EngHshman  named  Crawford, 
visited  Mehemed  Ali,  and  used  to  tell  us  children 
at  home  how  fond  the  Sultan  was  of  European 
novelties,  and  how  he  used  to  wear  large  white 
gloves,  such  as  waiters  in  London  wear.  The 
government  and  condition  of  affairs  in  Egypt  were 
at  that  time  very  much  what  they  are  in  Morocco 
to-day.  Who  knows  whether  it  will  not  follow 
in  the  footsteps  of  Egypt  and  suffer  the  same  fate  ? 

One  thing  is  certain,  the  Sultan  will  be  re- 
sponsible for  hastening  this  end.  His  lack  of  a 
sense  of  duty  and  responsibility,  his  dislike  of  tra- 
ditional customs,  and  his  want  of  interest  in  affairs 
of  government,  are  fatal.  The  Maghzen  has  its 
own  way  everywhere,  first  this  and  then  that  one 
of  its  members  ruling  the  roost.  Formerly  an 
Ouzir,  or  Chancellor,  acted  as  the  Sultan's  right 

9 


130     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

hand,  and  he  alone  had  the  privilege  of  robbing 
the  subjects  and  the  State.  Now,  in  order  to'be 
relieved  of  the  responsibility  of  decision,  Abd-el- 
Laziz  delivers  the  people  over  to  a  whole  band  of 
predatory  officials,  as  naturally  all  booty  must  be 
divided  between  the  members  of  the  Maghzen. 

During  the  last  four  years  Morocco  has  incurred 
a  debt  of  80,000,000  francs,  yet  scarcely  a  quarter 
of  this  has  been  spent  on  the  army  or  Government 
affairs,  but  the  bulk  has  been  pocketed  by  the 
Maghzen. 

The  official  salary  for  a  Minister  is  about  £  1 2 
per  annum.  On  entering  this  office  the  Ministers 
take  a  solemn  oath  to  be  honest.  The  present 
Ministers  truly  live  like  lords,  and  build  them- 
selves gorgeous  palaces,  while  the  people  look  on 
and  shake  their  heads. 

There  is  no  Arabian  newspaper  in  Morocco,  and 
the  circulation  of  the  only  journal  published  by  the 
French  in  Tangier  is  artificially  stimulated  by  them, 
and  it  is  sent  by  them  throughout  the  country. 
This  journal  contains  the  fiercest  of  attacks  upon 
the  Sultan  and  the  native  Government.  While 
the  French  in  Algiers  keep  a  strict  watch  that 
the  Arabs  shall  read  no  newspapers,  and  con- 
fiscate every  one  they  find,  here  they  themselves 


THE  SULTAN  AND  THE  MAGHZEN   131 

publish  an  organ  which  excites  the  people  to  irre- 
ligion  and  revolution  against  their  own  native 
Government.  If  this  is  not  barbarism,  I  do  not 
know  the  meaning  of  the  word. 

In  order  to  make  clear  the  misgovernment  in 
Morocco,  I  must  give  an  outline  of  the  Con- 
stitution. 

There  are  four  classes  of  Maghzen,  then  come 
the  quasi-Maghzen  class,  and  the  lower  Maghzen. 
From  the  first  originally  came  all  the  officials  and 
military  officers,  and  only  afterwards,  when  the 
Empire  developed,  the  quasi-Maghzens  were  also 
drawn  upon.  In  Morocco  all  positions  are  heredi- 
tary, if  not  by  law,  at  least  through  custom.  The 
whole  of  the  Court,  all  officials  and  military,  belong 
to  the  Maghzen,  which  in  Europe  has  been  gener- 
ally falsely  translated  as  "  the  Ministry." 

The  composition  of  the  Royal  household  is  very 
complicated.  The  Royal  guard  consists  of  two 
divisions,  the  Mchaouris  and  the  Msakrins,  the 
former  consisting  of  500  men,  the  latter  of  3,000. 
The  Mchaouris  without  exception  are  born  Magh- 
zen, while  the  Msakrins  are  drawn  from  the 
quasi-Maghzen. 

The  Grand  Wazeer  is  the  Home  Secretary,  and 
all    correspondence   between   the    Sultan  and    the 

9—2 


132     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

Maghzen  goes  through  his  hands.  The  Minister 
for  Foreign  Affairs  is  called  the  Minister  of  the 
Sea,  because  he  has  to  see  to  all  over-sea  transac- 
tions. This  Minister  has  a  representative  in 
Tangier,  the  Naib  es  Sultan.  The  Minister  for 
War,  L'AUef  (the  Counter),  was  originally  only 
Paymaster-General ;  to-day  he  is  the  most  powerful 
man  in  the  kingdom.  L'Amin  el  Oumana,  the 
Minister  of  Trade  and  Finance,  is  chosen  from 
among  the  richest  merchants,  and  has  to  administer 
all  economic  affairs.  He  has  three  under- secre- 
taries— for  Income,  Expenditure,  and  the  Highest 
Chamber  of  Accounts.  These  four  Ministers  form 
the  Ministry  in  our  sense  of  the  term.  UAmin 
el  Chikayat  Dahilia  is  at  once  Minister  of  Justice 
and  himself  the  Highest  Court.  All  complaints 
are  made  to  him.  Besides  these  there  are  Ministers 
for  the  Imperial  Household,  one  for  interior  and 
one  for  outside  affairs.  Kaid  el  Mechouar  is  the 
title  of  the  former.  Each  of  the  nine  Ministers 
has  an  office  and  innumerable  scribes. 

As  all  these  officials  are  practically  unpaid,  they 
steal  right  and  left,  in  spite  of  the  oath,  which  runs : 
"  I  swear  never  to  take  what  is  not  my  due,  not 
even  an  egg  from  a  subordinate."  They  swear, 
too,  to  be  faithful  to  their  office,  but  this  oath  is 


THE  SULTAN  AND  THE  MAGHZEN   133 

as  faithfully  kept  as  the  oath  of  chastity  of  the 
German  Maltese  knights.  Their  names  are 
impossible  to  remember  ;  for  instance,  the  name 
of  the  head  of  the  Finance  Department  is  Amin 
echchkara  el  Hady  el  Mehdi  Lahlo. 

This  brief  description  makes  it  clear  that  the 
system  leaves  much  to  be  desired,  but  this  short- 
coming is  universal.  When  Clemenceau  was  made 
Minister  of  the  Interior,  he  found  in  his  depart- 
ment many  officials  who  never  went  to  the  offices 
at  all,  and  who  filled  private  posts.  I  expect  the 
state  of  affairs  in  the  French  Maghzen  is  very 
much  the  same  as  in  Morocco.  In  France  Radical 
Socialism,  in  Russia  the  autocracy,  in  Morocco  the 
Sherifat,  have  brought  confusion  and  corruption  to 
a  head,  and  the  Ministers  have  merely  taken  the 
place  of  the  old  feudal  lords.  Their  brothers, 
fathers,  and  sons  fill  all  places,  and  the  Ministry 
is  united  by  blood  relationship — an  octopus  of 
officialdom  sucking  the  blood  of  the  people — the 
apotheosis  of  nepotism.  To  divert  the  people's 
attention,  they  are  incited  to  a  great  attack  on  the 
Church,  for,  as  Gambetta  said  significantly.  If  you 
wish  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  electorate  away 
from  great  political  questions  of  the  day,  attack 
the  Church. 


134     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

What  must  an  honest  man  think  when  he  hears 
the  most  corrupt  Maghzen  in  the  world,  the 
French,  talk  about  purifying  the  Moroccan  Magh- 
zen? Once  more  and  again  I  ask.  Where  are 
the  barbarians,  in  Europe  or  Morocco  ? 


CHAPTER  VIII 
DEPARTURE  FROM  FEZ 

Towards  midday  on  May  7  we  left  Fez.  It  was 
with  regret  that  we  tore  ourselves  away  from  the 
many-coloured  and  peaceful  life  of  the  city  we 
had  grown  to  love. 

As  we  emerged  from  the  city  gate  we  saw  the 
great  plain  of  Sais  stretching  away  endlessly  before 
us,  the  great  mountain  at  the  northern  end  shim- 
mering in  a  blue  haze.  Across  it  were  moving 
many  little  asses,  carrying  charcoal,  palm-leaves, 
and  brush-wood,  urged  ceaselessly  forward  by  the 
dark-skinned  men  in  their  white  linen  robes,  crying, 
"Arrad!  Arrad  !" 

Our  path  led  through  the  great  plain,  and  one 
village  after  another  disappeared  like  a  dream  as 
we  passed.  After  a  three  hours'  march  we  left 
the  plain  of  Sais  and  entered  the  hilly  country. 
Mekes,  a  large  village,  peeped  out  invitingly  from 

135 


136     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

its  dark  green  background  of  oak  and  aloes,  so  we 
halted  and  made  a  light  meal. 

Behind  Mekes  flows  the  Ouled  Mekes,  a  neigh- 
bouring river  to  the  Sebu,  spanned  by  a  very- 
interesting  bridge.  Upon  it  sat  two  men  look- 
ing like  sentinels,  but  they  proved  to  be  merely 
travellers  resting.  When  Fox-Pitt  was  photo- 
graphing the  bridge  they  rose,  evidently  uneasily 
apprehensive  of  being  photographed. 

From  the  River  Mekes  the  road  winds  over 
very  remarkable  hilly  country.  The  hills  are  like 
great  cones  of  marl,  and  the  earth  forms  great 
cavities  of  many  colours.  I  have  seen  similar  soil 
in  Kimberley.  Red  predominates,  and  indicates  the 
presence  of  iron  ;  a  great  quantity  of  swamp  ore 
is  also  to  be  seen. 

We  were  making  for  Ben  Amer,  and  had  to 
urge  the  horses  forward  to  be  there  before  night- 
fall. My  servant  rode  in  front,  then  I  and  Fox- 
Pitt,  and  behind  Mr.  Hawkins,  who  had  started 
late.  The  sun  was  just  sinking  ;  not  bidding  us, 
as  in  Europe,  a  leisurely  farewell,  but  dropping 
without  warning  suddenly  into  the  other  hemi- 
sphere. 

After  that  an  ineffably  lovely  golden  haze  filled 
the  sky ;   the  shadows  hurried  on,  embraced  the 


DEPARTURE  FROM  FEZ  137 

glowing  cloudlets,  and  that  deep  peace,  which 
Allah  has  only  bequeathed  to  His  own  kingdom, 
fell  gently  over  all  the  land.  The  storks  were 
taking  their  calm  flight  through  the  closing  shade, 
bringing  peace  to  the  roofs  of  men.  The  last  flap 
of  their  wings  announced  the  coming  of  balmy 
sleep,  soother  of  care  and  sorrow. 

When  the  sun  had  sunk  and  we  were  passing 
a  chain  of  hills,  four  men  with  rifles  suddenly 
appeared  before  us,  and  apparently  put  themselves 
in  a  firing  attitude.  My  servant  rode,  nevertheless, 
quietly  forward,  and  we  were  reassured  on  recog- 
nising our  friends,  Kaid  Mouley  Dris,  the  coffee- 
house keeper,  and  others  from  Ben  Amer,  who 
had  ridden  out  ,to  meet  and  protect  us.  They 
had  taken  up  their  defensive  position  to  show 
their  alertness. 

We  shook  and  kissed  hands  all  round,  then 
hurried  on  to  Ben  Amer.  Here  the  whole  of  the 
population  awaited  us,  and  insisted  on  shaking 
hands.     These  were  the  evilly  disposed  natives ! 

The  next  day  we  started  off  early,  and  rode  for 
Ische  Banat.  On  the  way  we  met  many  evil- 
looking  Aissaui  returning  from  Merekes.  The 
people  in  Ische  Banat  were  not  so  polite  and  friendly 
as  in  Ben  Amer,  though  Kaid  was  most  kind  and 


138     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

cordial.  However,  the  beauty  of  our  camping- 
place  richly  compensated  us  for  our  cool  recep- 
tion. 

Our  tent  stood  in  marvellous  meadows  of  golden 
and  blue,  and  the  villagers  sat  in  a  circle  round  us, 
with  the  little  gamin^  more  impudent  than  usual, 
crouched  up  together,  watching  everything  with 
open  mouths. 

Mr.  Hawkins  had  a  tremendous  shock  in  the 
middle  of  the  night.  He  was  suddenly  roused 
from  his  sleep  by  a  shot  being  fired  quite  close  to 
him.  He  sprang  up,  and  general  excitement  pre- 
vailed, till  it  was  found  that  the  sentinel  had 
accidentally  let  oiF  his  rifle.  I  had  truly  slept 
the  sleep  of  the  just,  and  not  heard  a  sound. 

The  next  day  we  reached  Shech  Boushaid,  an 
hour's  journey  from  the  Sebu.  The  Kaid  of  this 
place  is  an  exceedingly  rich  man.  The  plain  is 
very  fertile,  where  it  is  not  swampy.  Shech 
Boushaid  is  a  junction  and  halting-place  for  cara- 
vans, and,  indeed,  two  were  already  there  on  our 
arrival. 

It  was  a  wonderful  sight  to  see  the  thousands  of 
sheep  and  goats,  and  hundreds  of  cattle,  asses, 
mules,  and  horses  coming  from  the  watering-place, 
and    behind    them    the    deliberate    camels   slowly 


DEPARTURE  FROM  FEZ  139 

swinging  their  heads  from  side  to  side.  There 
were  hundreds  of  camels  pressing  together  as  if 
they  awaited  something  extraordinary.  However, 
they  received  nothing  but  the  ordinary  orders  of 
the  camel-driver  commanding  them  to  rest  and 
sleep.  Each  camel  was  separately  invited  to  lie 
down.  Of  its  own  accord  the  herd  moved  into 
a  half-circle ;  a  blue-grey  baby  camel  among  them 
was  not  so  well  educated  as  its  parents,  and  not 
until  the  lower  part  of  its  legs  were  bent  under 
and  its  upper  leg  held  fast  could  it  be  made  to  lie 
down.  Camp  fires  flared  around  us,  and  in  their 
red  glow  it  was  very  weird  to  watch  the  white 
heads  of  the  camels,  as  they  chewed  the  cud  with 
their  great  teethe  The  camel-drivers  played  on 
the  mandolins,  dogs  barked  in  the  distance,  and 
now  and  then  an  ass  complained  of  his  sad  fate, 
till  beneficent  night  silenced  them  all. 

By  early  grey  dawn  the  scene  was  again  animated, 
and  the  caravans  set  out  by  the  light  of  the  sunrise, 
disappearing  into  the  distance  with  calm  and 
measured  pace.  We,  too,  set  out,  and  after  an 
hour's  ride  reached  the  Sebu,  here  a  rushing 
torrent  tearing  along  its  deep-worn  bed,  not,  as  in 
Tekua,  fresh,  shallow,  and  boisterous,  springing 
gaily  over  great  rocks,    but   moving    pompously 


I40     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

along,  as  if  filled  with  a  sense  of  its  own  import- 
ance. 

It  was  a  very  interesting  scene  that  then  took 
place.  Great  boats  are  used  for  conveying  men 
and  animals  across  the  river,  but  their  construc- 
tion is  most  unpractical.  They  are  very  shallow, 
and  will  only  come  within  about  a  yard  of  the 
bank,  and  transport  of  animals  creates  a  noisy 
scene.  Every  animal  obstinately  refused  to  get 
into  the  boat.  If  the  words  and  blows  showered 
upon  him  have  no  effect,  then  he  is  vigorously 
pushed  and  pulled,  and  almost  thrown  into  the 
water.  When  in  the  boat,  the  camels  were  made 
to  lie  down,  and  it  was  a  very  curious  spectacle  to 
see  the  boat  rocking  wildly  on  the  roaring,  yellow 
Sebu,  freighted  with  the  reclining  yellow  and  grey 
camels,  whose  long  necks  swung  from  side  to  side 
with  astonishment.  After  incredible  noise,  bustle, 
and  blows,  we  were  across. 

We  found  our  next  stopping-place,  Habassee 
brech,  the  most  poetically  picturesque  spot  we  had 
so  far  seen.  It  lies  on  a  gentle  green  slope,  and 
is  a  mere  cluster  of  brown-roofed  huts,  each  with 
its  pair  of  storks,  and  sometimes  several  pairs,  with 
little  ones  peeping  from  the  nests. 

We  were  taken  to  the  garden  of  the  brother  of 


DEPARTURE  FROM  FEZ  141 

Sultan  Mouley  el  Kebir,  where  we  stretched  our- 
selves luxuriantly  under  the  shade  of  a  fig-tree, 
while  all  around  us  the  air  was  filled  with  the 
joyous  song  of  thrushes,  the  gentle  cooing  of  the 
doves,  and  the  frivolous  chirp  of  hosts  of  sparrows. 
The  Kaid's  first  question  was — were  we  French- 
men ?  When  he  learned  that  this  was  not  the 
case,  he  cordially  offered  us  sour  and  sweet  milk, 
coverlets  and  cushions. 

Habassee  is  the  residence  of  a  Pacha — Hammet 
Ben  Boubkier,  who  sent  word  he  would  be  pleased 
by  a  visit  from  us. 

We  had  to  pass  a  huge  manure-heap  on  our 
way  to  the  palace,  which  looked  like  a  neglected 
farm,  and  was  guarded  by  soldiers.  We  were  led 
through  the  little  courtyard  to  the  garden,  where 
a  large  round,  many-coloured  tent  was  pitched. 

There  sat  twenty  Arabs  reclining  on  cushions  in 
a  circle,  while  a  negro  knelt  before  a  great  bowl  of 
tea  surrounded  by  dainty  little  cups  on  the  usual 
brass  trays.  The  Pacha,  a  man  of  forty,  lay  with 
his  bare  feet  resting  on  a  divan.  His  first  question, 
also,  was  whether  we  were  Frenchmen,  and  he  was 
childishly  delighted  at  our  reply.  Next  to  the  Pacha 
sat  the  judge,  the  Khadi,  an  old,  white-bearded  man, 
with  a  cunning  look  in  his  eye.     Then  came  his 


142     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

clerks  and  servants.  All  kept  their  eyes  fixed  on 
the  Pacha  in  an  attitude  of  devout  attention  to 
every  word  that  fell  from  his  lips,  but  unly  the 
Khadi  dared  to  join  in.  The  Pacha  asked  why 
the  French  were  buying  so  much  land  in  Tangier, 
and  if  I  thought  they  would  keep  Oujda.  He 
then  sang  the  praises  of  the  German  Kaiser.  Then 
he  asked  the  time,  and  compared  my  watch  with 
his.  As  it  was  passed  round  from  hand  to  hand 
and  held  up  to  their  ears,  we  were  sprayed  with 
fleur  d'orange,  and  a  slave  kept  the  flies  off  us 
with  a  not  too  clean  serviette.  The  negro  made 
tea  according  to  a  prescribed  ceremony,  his  raised 
eyebrows  testifying  to  his  careful  attention  to  his 
task.  When  not  making  tea  he  sat  motionless  as 
a  statue.  Sour  milk  was  then  passed  round,  and 
each  had  to  drink  a  draught  of  it.  After  talking 
of  many  things,  we  took  our  leave,  and  rode  four 
hours  in  the  broiling  sun  to  Jumah  el  Lalla 
Maimuna. 

Buried  in  a  small  cactus  grove  stands  a  mosque 
with  a  slender  minaret ;  near  it  a  white  "  saint 
house,"  with  a  village  of  tents  grouped  around. 
This  is  the  grave  of  the  holy  Lalla  Maimuna,  and 
is  much  frequented  by  all  pilgrims. 

We    noticed   great  groups    of  gorgeously   ap- 


DEPARTURE  FROM  FEZ  143 

parelled  soldiers  riding  about  the  district,  and 
learned  that  there  had  been  a  three  days'  battle 
only  two  days  before.  Two  Kaids  made  war  on 
each  other,  fifteen  Arabs  had  fallen,  and  the  Pacha 
of  Larash  had  sent  these  troops  to  restore  peace. 

If  we  had  only  been  twenty-four  hours  earlier, 
we  might  have  been  twentieth-century  witnesses 
of  a  scene  from  the  Middle  Ages.  But  now  the 
Mahalla  were  exercising  their  office,  and  the  spirit 
of  order  and  harmony  again  reigned.  Looking  at 
these  villages  in  the  broad  plain,  slumbering  behind 
their  green  hedges  in  the  growing  evening  grey, 
we  could  scarcely  believe  that  two  days  before  the 
smoke  of  powder  and  resounding  shots  had  filled 
the  air  with  terror,  and  frightened  the  storks  from 
their  nests.  But  now  an  atmosphere  of  blessed 
peace  was  wafted  over  the  sacred  shrine,  and 
around  it  quietly  browsed  horses,  asses,  kine, 
sheep,  goats,  and  camels. 

The  kneeling  Arabs  kissed  the  earth  and  prayed 
aloud  ;  a  twinkling  light  burned  in  the  white, 
green-roofed  koubba,  and  the  camp  fire  shed  its 
red  glow  on  the  quiet  resting-place  of  the  saint. 

After  the  burning  heat  of  day,  the  breath  of 
night  descending  from  the  sea  of  stars  was  like 
a  cooling  draught.     The  dew  fell  gently,  and  in 


144     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

the  west  glowed  the  last  greetings  of  the  departed 
day. 

We  all  sat  round  a  table,  while  our  guide,  El 
Hetj,  told  the  legend  of  the  holy  Lalla  Maimuna. 

"  Once  two  saints  dwelt  in  this  place,  Sidi  Bou 
Selham  and  Sidi  Abd  el  Laziz  et  Tayar,  and  both 
could  work  miracles. 

"  One  day  when  Sidi  Bou  Selham  was  unsuc- 
cessfully fishing  in  the  lake,  Sidi  et  Tayar  came  up, 
and,  to  annoy  his  colleague,  put  his  hand  into  the 
water  and  drew  out  a  handful  of  fish.  Every  hair 
of  his  hand  had  turned  into  a  fish-hook  !  Sidi 
Bou  Selham  was  seized  with  wrath,  and  swore  that 
he  would  lead  the  lake  to  Fez,  and  make  the 
maidens  of  Fez  wash  their  hands  in  it.  He  took 
the  lake  as  far  as  this  spot,  where  dwelt  his 
daughter  Lalla  Maimuna. 

"  Lalla  Maimuna  besought  her  father  not  to  do 
this  thing,  but  he  would  not  break  his  oath.  So 
she  miraculously  brought  the  maidens  of  Fez  to 
the  lake  here  to  wash  their  hands.  Then  the 
enraged  saint  let  the  lake  flow  back  to  its  original 
place.  Thus  Lalla  Maimuna  saved  the  country- 
side from  drought,  and  after  her  death  a  shrine 
was  built  to  her  blessed  memory." 

This    story    was    specially    interesting    because 


DEPARTURE  FROM  FEZ  145 

female  saints  are  so  exceedingly  rare  among 
Mohammedans.  The  position  of  woman  is  so 
inconceivably  low  that  the  question  of  her  posses- 
sion of  a  soul  is  not  yet  unanimously  solved, 
though  the  general  treatment  of  women  in  Morocco 
is  better  than  that  accorded  by  other  Moham- 
medans. Lalla  Maimuna  has  also  become  the 
patroness  of  Larash,  and  a  mosque  has  been  con- 
secrated to  her  memory  there. 

The  whole  story  is  an  attempt  to  account  for  the 
presence  in  Jumah  el  Lalla  Maimuna  of  a  swamp, 
which  is  declared  to  be  the  remains  of  the  lake. 

We  reluctantly  departed  from  this  place  of 
pilgrimage,  and  made  our  way  across  the  broad 
and  infertile  plain,  covered  with  sand,  and  nourish- 
ing dwarf  palms  and  thousands  of  gorgeous  flowers. 
Towards  evening  we  entered  a  great  forest  of  cork 
oaks,  giant  trees  stretching  wide  their  huge  branches 
over  the  sandy  ground,  where  we  galloped  under 
the  refreshing  shade  till  we  reached  a  chain  of  hills. 

The  whole  panorama  of  Larash  lay  spread  before 
us.  Part  only  of  the  town  was  visible — the  Mosque 
of  Lalla  Maimuna,  near  a  large  date-palm,  rose 
like  a  living  minaret  to  heaven  ;  there  was  also  a 
romantic-looking  ancient  and  fortified  wall.  A 
wide  valley  stretched  smoothly  into  the  distance, 

10 


146     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

and  like  a  white  stream  of  flowing  milk  the  river 
wound  and  twisted  through  the  deep  green 
meadows.  Behind  lay  a  gold-yellow  sea,  with  its 
white  belt  of  ceaseless  treacherous  foam  breaking 
remorselessly  on  the  rugged  red-brown  rocks ;  and 
far  away  stretched  the  endless  expanse  of  water, 
now  dark  blue,  now  green  as  malachite,  sparkling 
and  glittering  in  the  sun. 

Once  past  the  walls,  the  town  itself  dazzled  us 
with  its  white  brilliance  as  if  built  of  crystal. 

We  set  up  our  tent  on  the  walls  of  rock  which 
serve  as  a  foundation  for  this  ancient  fortress. 
We  could  hear  the  ceaseless  thunder  of  the  surf, 
the  tinkle  of  tambourines  in  the  distance,  and  the 
sing-song  of  the  midday  prayers.  Even  the 
mournful  dirge  of  a  passing  funeral  procession 
floated  across  to  us.  The  golden  glamour  of  the 
sinking  sun  clothed  with  a  fairy  mist  the  sur- 
passing beauty  of  the  scene.  We  looked  and 
listened,  drinking  in  with  grateful  hearts  the 
wonders  of  Allah. 

Larash  is  a  small  town  with  full  10,000  inhabi- 
tants, of  whom  a  third  are  Jews,  and  about 
200  Europeans,  mostly  Spaniards.  It  was  founded 
by  Arabs,  and  conquered  by  the  Spaniards  and 
Portuguese ;  became  the  chief  nest  of  pirates,  and 


.•    <         *  •  ■ 


DEPARTURE  FROM  FEZ  147 

managed  more  successfully  than  any  other  of  the 
coast  towns  to  protect  itself  against  the  onslaughts 
of  foreigners.  The  old  fortifications  still  exist 
intact. 

We  camped  over  the  cannon  which  with  long 
muzzles  looked  over  the  sea  menacingly,  though 
their  threat  is  but  brave  show.  The  great  snow- 
white  fortress  itself  with  its  round  towers  is  more 
a  thing  of  beauty  than  of  utility,  and  the  cannon, 
of  the  age  of  Philip  II.  and  III.,  emphasize  its 
strategic  uselessness.  However,  Larash  has  a  great 
future  as  the  chief  port  of  Northern  Morocco  ;  but 
at  present  the  harbour,  which  is  formed  by  the 
estuary  of  the  Loukkos,  is  so  narrow  that  the  least 
swell  prevents  ships  from  entering. 

The  market-place  is  picturesque  in  the  extreme 
— an  arcaded  court  closed  in  by  an  old  Moorish 
gateway.  The  remains  of  the  town  of  Lixus 
speak  of  this  land  as  the  ancient  house  of  the  old 
Roman  and  Phoenician  civilizations  of  thousands 
of  years  ago. 

We  left  Larash  early  next  day,  and  our  way  to 
Tangier  led  through  the  harbour,  and  here  the 
trouble  we  had  at  the  Sebu  had  to  be  gone  through 
again.  Every  single  beast  of  burden  had  to  be 
unloaded  and  beaten,  pushed  and  thrown  into  the 

10 — 2 


148     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

ferry-boat.  It  took  us  a  full  hour  to  get  across. 
Then  from  the  opposite  hill  we  had  a  new  view  of 
the  city.  Its  colour  was  curious,  not  white  and 
grey  like  Fez,  but  blue  and  brown,  yet  giving 
a  general  effect  of  dazzling  light. 

From  the  close-lying  mass  of  houses  rose  the 
graceful  minarets,  and  in  their  midst  the  steeple  of 
the  church  of  the  Spanish  Franciscans. 

We  rode  for  seven  hours  across  the  sandy, 
flower-covered  district  of  Arsila,  where  we  arrived 
at  dusk. 

The  Pacha  of  Arsila,  accompanied  by  four 
soldiers,  came  to  visit  us.  He  was  a  most  cordial 
and  vivacious  man,  and,  as  he  spoke  Italian,  we 
could  converse  with  ease.  He  had  recently  been 
appointed  here  from  Tighig,  on  the  extreme  west 
of  the  Empire.  He  had  been  educated  in  Italy, 
and  was  therefore  half  Europeanized.  As  we  sat 
and  talked  a  company  of  thirty  soldiers  rode  up 
and  fronted  us.  The  Pacha  sprang  up  and  made 
them  shoulder  arms  and  march  in  European 
fashion.  We  acknowledged  his  miUtary  salute 
by  baring  our  heads.  The  soldiers  were  then 
posted  round  our  camp,  two  and  two  before  each 
tent  as  sentinels. 

Near  by  was  a  Moorish  burial-ground,  charac- 


DEPARTURE  FROM  FEZ  149 

terized  by  the  same  simplicity  as  Moorish  life. 
Single  common  stones  mark  the  eternal  sleeping- 
place  of  the  dignified  Arab.  Before  us  lay  a 
turretless  mosque,  to  be  finished  at  the  new  year. 
The  town  is  hidden  behind  enormous  grey  walls, 
built  by  the  Spaniards  during  the  Moorish  wars 
of  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries,  and  are  very 
well  preserved.  Storks,  the  messengers  of  peace, 
stood  sentinel  on  every  tower. 

We  invited  the  Pacha  to  stay  to  have  coffee 
with  us. 

Day  departed  peacefully ;  night  closed  in  upon 
us,  while  the  sea  lapped  gently  upon  the  yellow 
sands. 

In  the  course'  of  the  next  morning  we  arrived 
safely  again  in  Tangier. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  CASE  OF  KAID  MACLEAN 

Sir  Harry  Maclean  is  a  man  of  sixty  years  of 
age,  who  has  seen  thirty  years  of  Moroccan 
service.  He  left  Gibraltar  as  a  young  officer,  and 
went  to  Fez  as  army  instructor.  The  late  Sultan 
made  him  Kaid,  and  gave  him  a  position  of  army 
command  suitable  to  his  rank,  and  after  a  time  it 
was  evident  his  troops  were  far  the  best  disciplined. 
In  1894,  when  the  late  Sultan  died,  Maclean  be- 
came chief  friend  and  adviser  to  his  Majesty 
Mouley  Abd-el-Laziz.  On  the  one  hand,  Kaid 
Maclean  influenced  him  in  the  direction  of  English 
modes  of  thought,  while  at  the  same  time  he  was 
in  a  position  to  send  the  most  reliable  and  valuable 
reports  to  the  Foreign  Office  in  London.  His 
services  were  so  highly  valued  that  Queen  Victoria 
knighted  him,  and  he  unites  a  Moorish  and 
English  title  of  nobility  in  one  person.  Kaid  and 
Sir  Harry  Maclean  is  to-day  the  greatest  expert 

150 


THE  CASE  OF  KAID  MACLEAN     151 

on    Morocco,  and   understands   its   customs  and 
language  like  a  native. 

He  has  two  daughters  ;  one,  Miss  Nora 
Maclean,  is  the  light  and  life  of  Tangier  society. 
He  is  very  wealthy,  and  his  house  in  Tangier 
accommodates  the  Austrian  Legation. 

Already  when  I  was  in  Tangier,  Kaid  Maclean's 
task  of  managing  Raisuli  was  widely  discussed. 
Mr.  Harris,  the  'Times  correspondent,  who  had 
already  once  been  made  a  prisoner  by  Raisuli,  was 
to  accompany  him  on  his  mission. 

Before  discussing  it,  however,  I  will  say  a  little 
about  Raisuli. 

Raisuli  is  a  Sherif — that  is,  a  saint — a  de- 
scendant of  the  Prophet.  (All  descendants  of 
Mohammed's  daughter  Fatme  are  Sherifs.)  But 
Raisuli  has  proved  himself  anything  but  saintlike. 
From  his  childhood  he  has  been  a  robber.  The 
old  Sultan  Hassan  captured  and  imprisoned  him, 
and  had  he  not  been  a  holy  man,  would  have 
beheaded  him.  He  spent  fifteen  years  in  prison, 
and  immediately  he  was  set  free  he  took  up  his 
old  profession. 

In  Morocco  there  are  two  great  Sherif  families 
and  three  minor  ones.  The  latter,  small  in 
numbers,  come  from  the  desert,  and  are,  so  to 


152     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

speak,  saints  of  the  second  rank.  The  Edrissites 
and  Alaouites  are  the  two  great  families  ;  the  former 
are  descendants  of  Mouley  Edris,  founder  of  Fez 
and  conqueror  of  Morocco  in  the  eighth  century. 
The  Edrissites  reigned  from  788  to  990. 

A  holy  family  is  called  Chorfa ;  the  males 
Sherifs,  the  females  Sherifas.  In  Morocco,  after 
the  Chorfa  of  the  Edrissites,  came  the  Zenoins, 
the  Almoravids  (the  conquerors  of  Spain),  the 
Mereniden  (who  lost  Spain),  the  Saadiers,  and  now 
the  Alaouites.  The  Edrissites  still  exist  as  a 
family,  and  numerically  exceed  the  ruling  family. 
In  1894,  at  the  death  of  Sultan  Mouley  Hassan,  a 
regent  in  the  person  of  Ben  Ahmed  was  appointed 
till  1900.  After  his  death  the  mother  of  Abd-el- 
Laziz,  Lalla  Recquia,  ruled  till  1 904.  It  was  during 
this  time  that  Raisuli  suffered  imprisonment. 

The  French  writer  Aubin  mentions  in  his  book 
"  Le  Maroc  d'Aujourd'hui/'  that  from  the  year 
1903  Raisuli  was  a  much -feared  and  renowned 
bandit.  But  on  his  accession  to  the  throne  the 
Sultan  had  other  things  to  do  than  fight  Raisuli, 
for  a  Pretender,  Bou  Hamaras,  threatened  him. 
This  was  an  impostor  who  declared  himself  to 
be  a  brother  of  the  Sultan,  and  claimed  that  he 
possessed  the  royal  gift — the  Baraka — which  gives 


THE  CASE  OF  KAID  MACLEAN     153 

the  Sultan  his  divine  right  as  King.  In  reality  he 
was  not  an  Arab  at  all,  but  a  Berber  called  Djilali 
ben  Dris  Zer  houni  el  Joussefi.  He  was  a  student, 
and  belonged  to  the  Mokendisin  section  of  the 
students'  organizations  (Tolba).  He  became  after- 
wards a  State  official,  and  secretary  to  the  Sultan's 
brother,  Mouley  Omar.  Owing  to  his  intrigues 
he  was  arrested  and  thrown  into  prison,  where  he 
remained  till  his  release  in  1901. 

He  travelled  to  Tunis,  Algiers,  and  Egypt,  and 
returned  as  a  Pretender.  He  called  himself  Mouley 
Mohammed  ben  el  Hassan,  the  name  of  the  still 
imprisoned  brother  of  the  Sultan. 

Aubin  says  there  was  a  similar  Pretender  in  the 
year  1862,  who  belonged  to  the  Rougo,  and  was 
nicknamed  Rogi.  Ever  since  that  a  Pretender  is 
thus  named.  This  Rogi  Bou  Hamara  nearly  suc- 
ceeded in  taking  Fez  ;  he  defeated  the  Mahalla  in 
1903,  and  had  the  great  Feast  of  I'Aid  el  Kebir 
not  intervened,  Abd-el-Laziz  would  have  lost 
Northern  Morocco.  But  the  conquering  army  of 
Bou  Hamara  hurried  home  to  celebrate  the  feast, 
and  never  returned.  The  Sultan  appointed  a  one- 
time colleague  of  Bou  Hamara,  Si  el  Mehdi  el 
Menehbi,  Minister  of  War,  and  he  successfully 
drove  the  Pretender  into  the  mountains. 


154     THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

This  Menehbi  was  the  descendant  of  a  Berber 
family,  which  for  many  generations  had  enjoyed 
high  State  offices.  He  himself  had  been  in  office 
under  Mouley  Hassan,  and  had  been  condemned 
to  prison  for  five  years  for  some  transgression. 

Abd-el-Laziz,  on  his  accession,  released  him, 
and  raised  him  to  the  highest  offices. 

We  have  thus  to  deal  with  three  ex-prisoners, 
the  Pretender,  the  bandit,  and  the  Sultan's  marshal. 

While  Bou  Hamara  threatened  the  throne  things 
went  well  with  Raisuli.  For  the  sake  of  peace 
the  Sultan  made  friends  with  him,  and  appointed 
him  Pacha  of  Sfax,  a  province  east  of  Tetuan, 
west  of  Arsila,  and  reaching  to  the  northern  gates 
of  Tangier.  Raisuli  proved  an  excellent  governor, 
though  every  transgression  in  his  dominion  was 
rewarded  with  barbaric  severity.  He  had  people 
beaten  to  death  and  blinded,  and  succeeded  in 
reducing  the  province  to  unheard-of  order  and 
safety.  He  built  a  splendid  castle,  a  sort  of  for- 
tress, and  behaved  like  an  absolute  monarch. 

When  the  Sultan  got  Bou  Hamara  off  his  hands, 
and  the  French  envoys  pressed  more  and  more 
urgently  for  Raisuli's  banishment — evidently  be- 
cause of  his  hostility  to  foreigners — the  Sultan 
agreed  to  depose  him,  but  he  would  not  be  deposed. 


THE  CASE  OF  KAID  MACLEAN     155 

He  gathered  his  faithful  followers  round  him,  re- 
treated to  his  castle,  and  fortified  it.  He  rode  out 
near  to  Tangier  and  menaced  the  town.  Menehbi 
came  up  with  the  Mahalla,  forced  Raisuli  to 
retreat,  burnt  down  his  castle,  and  went  trium- 
phantly back.  Raisuli  retreated  to  the  mountains 
near  Elcazar,  and  from  thence  sallied  forth  from 
time  to  time  to  harass,  plunder,  and  kill. 

Menehbi,  however,  soon  fell  into  disfavour,  fled 
from  Fez,  and  put  himself  under  English  protec- 
tion. He  lost  the  bulk  of  his  fortune,  which  was 
confiscated,  but  contrived  to  retain  that  part  which 
he  had  invested  at  Tangier,  or  had  cautiously 
hidden  away. 

He  had  once,  been  sent  to  Europe,  had  seen 
London,  Paris,  and  Berlin,  and  now  lives  in  Tangier 
in  a  large  palace  built  by  himself,  with  many  modern 
innovations — for  instance,  a  tennis-court.  I  have 
seen  Menehbi  play  tennis  excellently.  It  is  some- 
what striking  to  watch  a  man  clad  in  Moorish 
costume  take  the  service.  A  glorious  view  of  the 
sea  may  be  obtained  from  his  covered-in  garden 
terrace,  and  an  exquisite  rose-garden  completes  this 
fairy  palace.  The  ladies  of  the  Delegation  often 
visit  his  wife,  and  they  say  she  is  very  beautiful. 
Menehbi  is  himself  very  handsome,  with  the  true 


156    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

Oriental  politeness,  and  great  abilities,  though  one 
misses  his  knowledge  of  modern  languages.  In 
spite  of  the  confiscation  of  his  wealth  he  is  very 
rich,  and  apparently  utilized  the  time  of  his  favour 
to  good  purpose. 

Since  Menehbi  drove  him  out,  Raisuli  has 
menaced  Fez  and  Tangier,  supported  by  the  tribe 
of  Elkru.  Not  a  hundred  yards  from  Tangier  he 
has  waylaid  Europeans,  killed  them,  or  demanded 
ransom.  The  rich  Italian  Perdicaris,  and  the  'Times 
correspondent,  Mr.  Harris,  were  imprisoned  by 
him.  He  has  plundered  caravans  and  the  mails, 
and  can  neither  be  captured,  nor  will  the  Sultan 
of  the  tribes  where  he  lives  deliver  him  up.  So 
the  Moroccan  Government  has  to  keep  expensive 
detachments  of  troops  posted  in  Tangier,  Elcazar, 
and  on  the  roads  to  Fez. 

After  all  attempts  to  catch  Raisuli  had  failed, 
the  Sultan  made  peace  with  him.  But  first  two 
envoys  were  sent  to  treat ;  unfortunately,  they  first 
attempted  to  persuade  the  tribes  to  give  Raisuli 
up.  This  was  happening  as  I  was  in  Elcazar  on 
April  23,  1907.  When  Raisuli  heard  of  this 
intrigue  he  beheaded  one  Ambassador  and  bar- 
gained for  a  handsome  ransom  for  the  other.  This 
man  he  blinded,  however. 


THE  CASE  OF  KAID  MACLEAN     157 

At  the  time  of  my  visit  the  town  and  neigh- 
bourhood of  Elcazar  were  in  such  fear  of  Raisuli 
that  trade  was  at  a  standstill.  I  now  see  how 
lucky  we  were  to  get  through  in  the  way 
we  did. 

When  the  Sultan  saw  nothing  was  to  be  done 
through  the  Maghzen,  he  turned  with  fullest 
confidence  to  Maclean,  a  Scotchman,  and  like  all 
his  nation  faithful  and  reliable. 

As  Governor,  Raisuli  had  made  good  friends. 
The  people  of  Tangier  were  much  attached  to 
him — not  only  the  natives,  but  the  resident  Euro- 
peans also.  His  most  faithful  adherent  had  been 
executed  by  order  of  the  Sultan. 

The  English  Colonel  has  still  an  affection  for 
Raisuli,  who  is  a  Moorish  aristocrat  of  the  purest 
blood,  with  the  failings  and  virtues  of  an  aristocrat. 

The  following  letter  had  been  sent  by  Raisuli 
to  the  Colonel : 

"  Honour  to  whom  honour  is  due  ! 

"To  THE  Master  of  the  Hunt,  called  'El 
Cronel.' 

"  We  beg  herewith  to  inquire  after  your  health, 
and  send  you  our  best  wishes. 

"  We  have  received  your  letter,  and  learn  that 


158    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

you  desired,  according  to  your  custom,  to  camp 
and  hunt  in  the  Scharf  el  Akab,  and  that  you  have 
been  hindered  from  so  doing  by  a  communication 
from  Khalif  el  Hadj  Ahmed  Torres,  who  declared 
that  you,  your  men,  and  those  who  accompany 
you,  would  thus  put  their  lives  in  jeopardy. 

"  However,  please  be  perfectly  reassured  that 
nothing  will  occur  to  harm,  disturb,  or  molest 
you,  and  that  we  spread  over  you  the  net  of  safety. 
Formerly,  it  is  true,  there  was  much  disorder  and 
disturbance  in  the  district,  and  each  man,  weak  or 
strong,  ventured  to  act  in  any  manner  which 
seemed  immediately  or  eventually  advantageous  to 
him,  but  now  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  are  in  the 
full  enjoyment  of  the  blessings  of  peace  and  security, 
and  no  man  dreams  of  doing  evil  to  another. 

"  And  as  you  have  requested  us  to  take  the 
necessary  precautions  in  consideration  for  your 
safety,  we  have  commanded  twenty  of  our  men  to 
accompany  you  everywhere  to  ensure  you  peace 
and  safety. 

'*  This  is  our  communication.  May  you  live 
in  peace  for  ever. 

"  (Signed)     Ahmed  Ben  Mohammed  Er 

Resouli. 

"28  Moharram,'^  1322  {z^th  March^  1906]. 


THE  CASE  OF  KAID  MACLEAN     159 

So  wrote  the  bandit  to  the  Colonel,  and  in 
truth  not  a  hair  of  the  hunters  was  hurt. 

The  English  Consul  in  Elcazar,  Mr.  Carlton, 
is  still  Raisuli's  friend,  and  received  a  letter  from 
him  at  the  time  of  my  visit.  Since  his  flight  he 
has  had  one  meeting  with  the  Belgian  Ambassador, 
Comte  Busseret,  who  also  has  pleasant  memories 
of  him.  This  extremely  brave  and  capable  man 
had  the  courage  to  visit  Raisuli  in  his  mountain 
fastnesses. 

Raisuli  has  long  ago  made  peace  with  the 
Sultan,  but  he  places  no  trust  in  his  Majesty; 
the  fate  of  many  who  have  been  overcome  by 
breach  of  faith  and  cunning  frightens  him.  He, 
as  an  Oriental,  knows  what  he  has  to  fear.  He 
places  trust  only  in  Europeans,  and  therefore 
Maclean  has  been  chosen  by  the  Sultan  to  deal 
with  him. 

Maclean  found  him  among  the  hills,  treated 
with  him,  and  then  set  out  on  his  return  journey 
to  Fez,  but  on  the  way  back  Raisuli  took  him 
prisoner.  It  was  a  cunning  move  of  the  rebel 
chief,  for  the  Powers  were  then  obliged  to  treat 
with  him  direct. 

When  I  was  in  Tangier  the  Sultan  sent  Raisuli 
the  following  letter  : 


i6o    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

Sultanas  Letter, 
"To  My  Servant,  Kaid  Hamet  Raisuli. 

'*  My  greeting  ! 

"  I  have  many  times  sent  you  my  com- 
mands with  regard  to  the  disorder  caused  by  the 
tribe  Anjera,  but  have  received  no  reply,  which 
seems  to  indicate  you  have  no  idea  of  the  dis- 
turbance you  have  caused.  You  have  entered 
into  negotiations  with  foreign  nations  in  regard  to 
certain  mineral  ores  in  this  country  as  if  you  were 
an  independent  ruler.  Among  you  there  was 
apparently  no  wise  counsellor  to  warn  you;  of  the 
iniquity  of  such  conduct,  and  point  out  to  you 
that  you  would  be  held  responsible. 

"  You  are  the  cause  of  the  affair  at  Tetuan,  and 
the  subsequent  interference  of  the  Powers. 

"  I.  In  the  days  of  our  forefathers,  and  through 
the  evil  counsels  of  Haman,  you  were  the  cause  of 
disturbances,  which  could  have  been  avoided  by 
your  banishment,  a  punishment  meted  out  in  the 
past  to  the  most  powerful  tribes. 

"  A  Colonel  of  the  Guard  and  his  son  were 
murdered  by  you  in  Ceuta,  and  you  also  added  to 
the  list  of  your  misdeeds  by  the  assassination  of  a 


THE  CASE  OF  KAID  MACLEAN     i6i 

French  subject  near  ^  Wad  Shat,'  which  nearly 
caused  a  general  rising,  had  1  not  checked  it  by 
a  payment  of  25,000  francs,  and  the  erection  of  a 
monument  on  the  spot  of  the  murder. 

"  2.  The  arrest  of  the  assassins,  who  are  known 
to  the  French  Government,  and  who  must  submit 
to  its  laws,  should  be  resolved  upon,  and  I  have 
every  confidence  in  the  sincerity  of  your  service 
and  friendship.  I  have  written  to  you  to  appear 
at  my  Court,  and  also  to  my  servant,  Hadj  Mohd 
bel  Arbj  Torres,  informing  him  of  my  good  inten- 
tions towards  you.  He  sent  you  my  letter  through 
a  secretary,  and  informed  you  of  the  reasons  for 
this  mission.  And  you  resolved  to  comply  with 
my  requests  and  restore  order  in  the  country.  I 
can  well  understand  you  were  not  then  able  to 
appear  at  Court,  as  your  presence  was  needed  in 
your  own  district,  the  whole  of  the  mountain 
tribes  being  subject  to  your  rule.  I  now  repeat 
my  commands,  but  agree  to  a  postponement  of 
your  attendance.  I  send  you  my  servant,  the 
head  of  my  Army,  and  request  you  to  give  him 
every  assistance  in  quelling  the  disturbance,  to 
inflict  the  necessary  punishment  on  the  disturbers 
of  the  peace,  and  arrest  the  negotiators  in  the 
affair  of  the  minerals,  burn  their  houses,  and  to 

II 


1 62    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

see  that  the  necessary  taxes  are  paid  to  the 
Government. 

"  When  you  have  carried  out  these  commands 
I  will  let  you  know  to  whom  the  money  should  be 
sent.  I  have  ordered  the  chief  of  my  Army  to 
follow  your  advice  in  the  disposal  and  ordering  of 
the  Mahalla. 

'*  God  protect  you  ! 

"  1 6  Shoual,  1324." 

This  letter  shows  admirably  the  weakness  of  the 
Sultan's  authority,  and  his  impotence  efficiently  to 
control  this  rebel,  cattle  thief,  and  robber  chieftain. 
It  is,  indeed,  a  pitifully  feeble  appeal.  However, 
Raisuli  rejected  the  proposals  of  Abd-el-Laziz. 

Raisuli  constitutes  the  embarrassment  of 
Morocco;  and  who  is  responsible  for  this  state 
of  affairs  ?  The  French  Ambassadors  !  Instead 
of  allowing  Raisuli,  an  excellent  Governor,  to 
exercise  his  office  undisturbed,  they  have,  by  their 
interference,  brought  years  of  insecurity  to  Morocco; 
they  have  harmed  her  from  a  financial  point  of 
view,  and  hindered  her  from  developing  a  better 
system  of  government  and  a  more  settled  rule. 
This  is  what  the  civilizing  propaganda  of  France 
has  done  for  Morocco  ! 


CHAPTER  X 

MOROCCO  FOR  THE  MOORS 

Morocco  is  a  veritable  Paradise,  and  as  large 
as  Germany.  It  differs  from  the  other  North 
African  countries  in  possessing  plenty  of  water 
and  a  South  European  climate.  The  people  are 
excellent  workers,  and  perhaps  the  only  race  which 
excels  the  whites  in  power  of  endurance. 

Morocco  represents  the  last  of  the  territories 
desirable  for  colonizing  not  yet  taken  in  possession, 
but  it  is  a  land  which  no  country  will  willingly 
see  taken  by  another.  Germany  dare  not  allow 
France  to  take  Morocco,  as  Tunis  and  Algiers 
would  then  be  lost  to  the  mercantile  world,  for 
France  has  a  curious  dog-in-the-manger  trait. 
Her  own  people  will  undertake  nothing,  and  still 
strive  to  prevent  anyone  else  so  doing.  Life  in 
France  is  too  easy,  and  her  population  does  not 
wish  to  emigrate. 

163  1 1 — 2 


1 64    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

The  Frenchman  is  a  typical  bourgeois — un- 
ambitious, conceited,  industrious,  clean,  avaricious, 
garrulous,  gourmand,  critical,  and  cowardly. 

The  aristocratic  France  of  the  time  of  Louis  XIV., 
which  before  its  decline  was  made  ruler  of  the 
world  by  Napoleon,  has  quite  disappeared,  and 
that  hateful  type,  the  bourgeois,  flourishes 
throughout  the  country.  It  would  have  been 
better  for  aristocratic  France  if  she  had  been 
devoured  by  leprosy  than  by  this  social  disease  of 
bourgeoisie.  These  people  outdo  each  other  at 
home  in  lies,  avarice,  and  boastfulness,  and  abroad 
the  Frenchman  is  detestable. 

Go  to  Algiers  or  Tunis,  and  you  will  find  they 
first  build  cafes  chantants^  where  they  import  those 
girls  who  must  make  way  for  still  younger  ones 
at  home,  who  cannot  even  earn  their  bread  in 
Piccadilly.  Women  are  one  of  France's  articles  of 
export,  and  so  they  have  to  build  houses  for 
them.     This  is  very  apparent  at  Biskra. 

Another  industry  is  the  building  of  enormous 
quays.  The  quay  of  Algiers  is  quite  a  colossal 
structure,  and  until  you  find  there  is  no  traffic  at 
all,  you  would  think  the  whole  world's  trade  was 
concentrated  there. 

When  these  quays  are  completed  broad  roads 


MOROCCO  FOR  THE  MOORS     165 

are  made.  In  Algiers  and  Tunis  you  can  drive 
a  motor  along  them  for  miles,  and  yet  not  meet  a 
single  vehicle. 

After  this  splendid  barracks  are  erected,  and  the 
red-uniformed  soldiers  are  quartered  there.  This 
is  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  the  civilizing 
efforts  of  the  French. 

When  they  do  build  railways,  they  are  dear  and 
bad.  The  erection  of  both  streets  and  railways 
has  filled  the  pockets  of  certain  politicians,  and 
these  return  to  France,  and  sit  in  caf6s  drinking 
absinthe  and  vociferating  in  endless  political 
discussions. 

But  the  colony  has  to  bear  the  cost  of  these 
undertakings  ;  the  population  is  oppressed  by  ex- 
cessive taxation,  while  prohibitive  duties  prevent 
free  importation.  Traders  receive  licences  only 
if  they  are  Frenchmen ;  but  the  French  do  not 
visit  the  colony,  so  trade  does  not  develop 
and  over-sea  communication  does  not  take 
place. 

All  lands  under  the  control  of  the  French 
Radical-Socialists  suffer  this  fate.  If  you  doubt  it, 
then  visit  Tunis,  Algiers,  and  Tonkin  with  an 
open  mind. 

A  colony  is  regarded  from  the  traditional  stand- 


1 66    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

point  as  a  place  of  booty  for  the  proteges  of 
leading  politicians. 

France  herself  is  a  great  milch- cow  for  the 
functionaries  of  the  Republic.  In  fact,  you  may 
say  that  every  third  inhabitant  is  an  official  of  the 
Republican  Government.  France  is  rich  enough 
to  bear  all  this,  the  colonies  are  not.  As  the 
place  -  hunting  appetite  of  the  Social  Democrat 
does  not  abate,  but  vient  en  mangeant,  France  has 
cast  a  longing  eye  on  Morocco,  where  there  is 
ample  scope  for  placing  the  proteges  of  Messieurs 
Clemenceau  and  Pichon. 

Morocco  is  not  yet  a  French  colony,  but  the 
French  policy  aims  at  making  it  so. 

The  Sultan  has  to  pay  150,000  francs  to  French 
soldiers  who  do  nothing  whatever  for  him. 

The  banks,  the  customs,  and  every  institution 
needing  an  official,  powerfully  attract  the  French 
mind. 

The  German  Kaiser  has  recognised  the  value  of 
Morocco,  and  has  made  a  very  clever  and  diplo- 
matic move.  His  journey  to  Fez  and  Tangier 
won  the  hearts  of  the  Moors,  and  his  smart 
treatment  of  England  and  France  gained  their 
admiration  and  gratitude. 

The  Kaiser's  action  has  been    much  discussed, 


MOROCCO  FOR  THE  MOORS      167 

and  people  who  have  not  the  faintest  notion  of 
the  real  state  of  affairs  vent  their  wisdom  on  the 
housetops.  Even  the  German  Philistines  do  not 
understand  what  a  clever  move  their  Kaiser  has 
made.  He  has  opened  up  a  territory  as  large 
as  Germany  itself  to  the  traffic  of  the  world. 
Austria  has  done  well  to  support  the  Kaiser  in 
this,  because  the  integrity  of  the  Moorish  Empire 
is  as  important  to  her  as  it  is  to  Germany. 

Morocco  is  worth  a  war  far  more  than  Alsace- 
Lorraine  ever  was.  If  England  was  ready  to  give 
nearly  ^^2 50,000,000  for  the  Transvaal,  Morocco 
is  well  worth  double  that  amount ;  it  could  supply 
Europe  with  corn,  vegetables,  oranges,  and  Southern 
fruits,  coffee  and  cotton,  and  boasts  splendid  pas- 
ture-lands for  cattle.  The  population  of  Europe 
increases  daily,  and  the  question  of  food  grows 
more  and  more  important. 

The  population  of  France  is  decreasing,  and  she 
therefore  has  no  need  of  colonies  ;  but  Germany 
and  Austria  must  look  out  for  new  countries. 
The  German  Kaiser,  however,  does  not  want 
Morocco  for  himself,  but  merely  desires  to  protect 
it  from  the  barbarism  of  the  French,  and  so  far 
he  has  succeeded. 

Bismarck   never  admitted  the  principle  of  the 


1 68    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

solidarity  of  Conservatives,  but  he  did  hold  that 
to  maintain  supremacy  over  foreign  rivals  the 
proper  policy  was  to  develop  in  them  the  germ 
of  Democracy.  Read  the  memoirs  of  the  House 
of  Hohenlohe,  and  you  will  see  how  Bismarck 
influenced  internal  French  politics,  overthrew 
Thiers,  and  supported  Gambetta,  and  so  on. 
Bismarck  was  of  the  opinion  that  Democracy 
paralyzes  a  country.  I  do  not  know  whether  his 
Protestant  hate  of  Catholicism  had  any  influence 
on  his  opinion  on  this  point.  He,  however, 
forgot  one  thing,  and  that  is  that  Democracy  is 
a  pestilence  which  would  not  cry  a  halt  before  the 
Prussian  Eagle.  Deliver  your  enemy  over  to  a 
disease,  and  it  may  afterwards  attack  you.  The 
complete  victory  of  Democracy  in  France  has  but 
strengthened  its  cause  in  other  countries,  so  that 
its  final  triumph  in  other  lands  is  now  inevitable. 
There  will  be  a  period  of  Democratic  rule,  and 
then,  as  in  classic  times,  conquest  by  foreign 
races. 

The  question  is  :  Which  races  ?  The  yellow 
races  or  the  Mohammedans?  The  conquering 
armies  of  the  former  would  come  across  North 
America,  and  those  of  the  Mussulman  from  beyond 
the  Balkans.     When  the  German  Emperor  first 


MOROCCO  FOR  THE  MOORS     169 

spoke  of  the  Yellow  Peril,  and  painted  his  well- 
known  picture,  the  wiseacres  laughed,  and  could 
not  be  ironic  enough.  Do  they  still  laugh  ?  The 
fatuous  preachers  of  peace  at  The  Hague  will  some 
day  be  cursed  in  every  European  tongue. 

The  rising  of  the  Mohammedans  will  begin  in 
India  and  Egypt,  spread  to  North  Africa,  and  cost 
England  and  France  very  dearly  indeed.  The 
use  of  weapons  and  methods  of  warfare  which  the 
French  and  English  have  taught  to  their  native 
subjects  will  one  day  be  turned  against  them- 
selves, as  the  German  mercenaries  turned  against 
Rome.  Leave  Mohammedans  alone,  and  they  will 
never  molest  us;  but  if  we  organize  them,  and 
teach  them  the  art  of  war  and  modern  govern- 
ment, and  try  to  bring  them  up  to  the  stage  of 
present  Western  civilization,  they  will  be  our 
equals  and  no  longer  submissive  or  docile. 

The  occupation  of  Morocco  is  even  now  a 
menace  to  European  security  and  peace. 

While  travelling  in  Tunis,  Algiers,  and  Morocco, 
I  have,  as  this  book  shows,  studied  the  smallest 
details  of  life  there,  and  I  have  gained  the  impres- 
sion that  we  are  standing  before  a  great  Moham- 
medan rising. 

I  have  taken  this  opportunity  to  speak  of  the 


lyo    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

solidarity  of  the  Conservatives  because  I  believe 
they  have  a  special  interest  in  such  a  rising  of  the 
subject  races.  A  successful  rebellion  of  the 
Mohammedans  would  be  the  best  possible  lesson 
to  the  Social  Democrats.  We  are  still  in  a  position 
to  defend  Europe  from  an  invasion,  but  yet  within 
measurable  time,  if  degeneration  proceeds,  of  not 
being  able  to  do  so.  In  a  self-governed  Morocco 
a  rebellion  could  be  prepared,  and  when  it 
came  mid-European  States  could  only  wish  it 
well. 

An  Arabian  Empire  which  would  hold  England 
and  France  in  check  would  be  of  great  benefit  to 
Germany  and  Austria.  Then,  when  Japan  holds 
Russia  and  America  in  check,  and  England  and 
France  are  confronted  by  a  great  Mussulman 
kingdom,  we  shall  be  the  rulers  of  social  and 
political  affairs. 

We  must  look  on  the  Democrat  as  a  barbarian, 
not  the  Arab,  who  is  a  brother  Conservative. 

The  German  Kaiser  seems  to  unconsciously 
hold  the  same  idea.  The  time  when  aristocratic 
rulers  would  have  fought  the  Mussulman  is  past ; 
they  are  nearer  of  kin  to  us  aristocrats  than  the 
Social  Democrats  are.  The  gulf  between  faith  in 
Christ  and   the   belief  in  Allah  is  much  smaller 


MOROCCO  FOR  THE  MOORS      171 

than  the  abysm  that  divides  faith  in  Christ  from 
the  teachings  of  Marx  and  Lassalle. 

My  reason  for  speaking  so  much  of  the  Arabs' 
religion  was  to  show  how  nearly  related  it  is  to 
the  Roman  Catholic  religion.  The  way  from 
Rome  to  Mecca  lies  through  Nazareth.  In  the 
future  of  politics  we  shall  not  consider  whether 
a  man  is  a  Catholic,  Protestant,  or  Mohammedan, 
but  shall  welcome  him  to  the  great  Conservative 
Alliance.  There  will  be  but  two  classes  of  men : 
the  Conservatives — that  is,  cultured  men ;  and  the 
Democrats — that  is,  the  human  brutes. 

Morocco  is  the  paradise  of  Conservatism,  the 
uncorrupted  home  of  ancient  civilization,  unspoilt 
by  the  race  for  filthy  lucre.  The  social  complexion 
of  Europe  forces  us  to  feel  strongly  attracted  by 
Moroccan  national  spirit.  As  if  by  a  miracle,  this 
corner  of  Africa  has  been  preserved  from  the 
marauding  trail  of  the  panting  capitalist  barbarians, 
and  perhaps  we  shall  succeed  in  preserving  its 
civilization,  so  that  there  the  great  deliverance 
may  be  prepared. 

I  am  a  representative  of  the  knightly  and  landed 
proprietorial  class,  of  the  family,  of  orderly  society. 
My  enemy  is  international  capitalism,  and  its  army 
of  hungry  followers.     If  we   do   not    find   some 


172    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

special  means  of  checking  it  we  shall  be  swept 
away,  and  with  us  the  white  races. 

The  Arab  has  preserved  all  those  virtues 
which  form  the  basis  of  society,  and  therefore 
his  freedom  must  now  be  secured  to  him.  It 
may  then  be  left  to  later  times  to  support  the 
great  Mohammedan  rebellion,  and  help  it  to  its 
victory. 

When,  for  instance,  France  has  been  thoroughly 
defeated,  there  will  be  a  new  era  of  knightly  rule 
in  Europe.  Education  will  be  conducted  in  a 
different  manner.  The  child  will  not  leave  school 
unhealthy  and  hysterical,  half  blind  and  deformed, 
but  we  shall  breed  healthy  men,  expert  in  making 
and  using  defensive  weapons.  The  people's  strength 
of  will,  character  and  national  virility,  authority 
and  the  feeling  of  national  solidarity,  will  replace 
the  present  international  gold  cancer.  The  canker 
of  a  calm  world  has  demoralized  society ;  all  things 
are  chaotic  and  confused. 

Even  if  we  take  possession  of  Morocco  a  great 
rebellion  may  still  possibly,  and,  indeed,  probably, 
break  out. 

While  on  my  expedition  I  considered  the 
chances  of  a  successful  military  occupation  of 
Morocco.     My  experience   of  the   Boer  guerilla 


MOROCCO  FOR  THE  MOORS      173 

warfare  in  the  Transvaal  justifies  me  in  expressing 
an  opinion  on  this  subject.  There  four  railways 
from  four  ports  led  into  the  country,  and 
the  roads,  though  not  good,  were  passable,  and 
military  occupation  followed  the  line  of  the 
railway. 

Morocco  does  not  possess  any  railway  nor 
proper  roads.  Water  is  fairly  plentiful  in  places, 
but  then  for  stretches  of  over  sixty  miles  there 
will  be  none.  Every  Arab  has  his  rifle  and  his 
mule,  and  though  his  wants  are  very  few,  his 
powers  of  endurance  are  very  great,  so,  if  it 
came  to  a  struggle,  France  would  have  a  very  bad 
time  of  it.  If  she  withdrew  her  troops,  or  even  part 
of  them,  from  Algiers,  a  rebellion  there  would  be 
at  once  inevitable. 

In  the  Mother  Country  the  Radical-Socialists 
could  send  no  army  of  reinforcement,  for  they 
would  be  confronted  by  mutiny  at  home.  The 
French  have  no  potential  army  of  volunteers,  as 
have  the  English  ;  but  the  fleet  would  bombard 
the  ports  and  seaboard  towns,  as  did  the  Spanish 
and  Portuguese  of  the  Middle  Ages.  Perhaps 
the  line  between  Fez  and  Marracash  would  be 
occupied,  but  what  about  the  rest  of  the  king- 
dom.^      Everything   would    be    as    before  ;    ^vc 


174    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

millions  of  debt,  bloodshed,  and  failure  would  be 
the  final  result. 

If,  instead  of  entering  on  a  useless  struggle, 
they  were  to  lend  the  Sultan  money  and  a  guard  of 
some  thousand  men  from  Turkey  or  Egypt — for 
they  must  be  Mussulmans — order  would  be  pre- 
served, and  every  desirable  end  attained  ;  but  the 
French  officials,  officers,  and  like  sources  of  mis- 
understanding, would  have  to  be  withdrawn. 

Were  Mussulmans,  whom  the  Austrians  have 
trained,  taken  from  Bosnia  and  sent  to  Morocco 
to  restore  order,  the  result  might  be  a  success. 

To  begin  with,  let  the  Treaty  of  Algeciras  be 
torn  up.  What  unmitigated  rubbish  was  therein 
embodied  !  The  introduction  of  a  Spanish  Police 
Corps,  with  a  Swiss  Colonel  at  their  head,  was  an 
insane  idea.  They  might  just  as  well  have  chosen 
a  Norwegian  photographer  or  a  croupier  from 
Monaco.  Imagine  in  Berlin  a  Chief  Constable 
who  understood  only  the  Chinese  language.  How 
many  criminals  could  he  bring  to  justice  ? 

Furthermore,  the  government  of  the  Moroccan 
kingdom  has,  in  a  measure,  been  entrusted  to 
a  Council  of  the  representatives  of  the  diffi^rent 
European  Powers.  On  this  Council  sit  also  three 
Arabs.     Sittings  are  held  daily.     The  representa- 


MOROCCO  FOR  THE  MOORS     175 

tives  of  Germany  and  Austria,  representing  one 
hundred  million  people,  have  only  the  same 
voting  power  as  those  of  the  minor  kingdoms 
— Portugal,  Belgium,  and  Holland. 

With  the  exception  of  the  German  and  Belgian 
Ambassadors,  none  of  them  have  ever  been  into 
the  interior  of  Morocco.  Thus,  the  Maghzen 
rules  in  Fez,  the  Ambassadors  dispute  in  Tangier, 
and  the  Raisulis  and  Rogis  are  forced  into  rebel- 
lion by  the  French. 

All  important  public  works  are  left  to  the 
different  nations  to  carry  out — not  in  accordance 
with  the  true  interests  of  the  country,  but  with 
the  view  to  profit  England,  Belgium,  and  France. 

The  natives  see  this  clearly  enough.  The 
French  Government  publishes  newspapers  in 
Arabic  practically  inciting  the  people  against 
their  own  Government  and  the  Sultan — in  fact, 
his  whole  authority  is  being  intentionally  under- 
mined, and  yet  he  is  held  responsible  for  all  that 
occurs. 

All  imported  articles  are  rendered  dearer  through 
custom  duties  ;  by  heavy  taxes  the  people's  lives 
are  made  harder  ;  payments  to  superfluous  foreign 
officers  and  officials  unnecessarily  increase  the 
Budget,   and  land  is  being   bought  up  by  alien 


176    THE  BARBARIANS  OF  MOROCCO 

purchasers  ;  shrines  are  violated ;  and  in  spite  of 
such  provocation,  there  is  the  Wind  hope  that  the 
people  will  not  rebel.  And  all  this  scheming 
and  legalized  roguery  of  the  white  barbarians  in 
Morocco  has  the  charming  title  of  "  peaceful 
penetration."  Peaceful  it  may  be,  but  none  the 
less  barbaric. 

If  these  European  meddlers  really  wish  to  do 
good,  they  should  go  about  it  quite  differently. 
First,  the  international  Council  should  be  at  Fez, 
and  should  consist  of  men  who  have  some  know- 
ledge of  affairs  —  that  is,  trained  Government 
speciahsts,  not  Ambassadors  and  diplomats. 

As  it  is  at  present,  one  man  is,  say,  a  rattling 
good  tennis-player,  of  a  distinguished  family  ; 
another  is  known  to  be  an  excellent  hand  at 
bridge ;  yet  another  is  a  great  expert  at  polo ;  while 
a  fourth  plays  admirably  on  the  violin.  Others, 
perhaps,  excel  in  dancing,  riding,  or  shooting.  In 
truth,  I  have  seldom  seen  anyone  dance  as  well 
as  a  Spanish  diplomat !  With  the  exception  of 
the  German  and  Belgian  Ambassadors,  none  of 
them  speak  the  Moorish  tongue  ;  yet  surely 
such  knowledge  is  a  sine  qua  non  to  an  under- 
standing of  the  state  of  the  country,  and  would  at 
least  be  an  added  light  on  affairs. 


MOROCCO  FOR  THE  MOORS      177 

The  members  of  the  Council  are  all  in  hearty 
disagreement,  as  different  armies  of  capitalists 
support  each  nation. 

The  Powers  should  hold  another  Conference  in 
Algeciras,  and  leave  the  land  to  the  people  to 
whom  it  belongs.  For  councillors  take  men  who 
have  already  proved  their  capacity  for  dealing 
with  such  questions,  as  have  Austrian  officials  in 
Bosnia.  Give  the  Sultan  money  and  foreign 
Mussalman  soldiers,  and  the  Moroccan  difficulty 
would  be  solved. 

But  first,  and  emphatically,  away  with  the 
white  barbarians  1 


THE    END 


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